SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Joint Base San Antonio - Fort Sam Houston has confirmed that one of its sergeants was the victim of a fatal shooting that happened early New Year's Day.
Staff Sergeant Jessica Mitchell was found after San Antonio police officers were dispatched shortly after 2 a.m. to eastbound IH-10 and West Avenue in reference to a stranded vehicle in the fast lane causing a hazard, the SAPD Public Information Office said in a release.
Officers found a white Dodge Challenger with multiple gunshots to the driver's side door and window. Upon opening the door, the officers found Mitchell suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. The responding officers checked for a pulse, but didn't find one, according to the release.
She was taken to University Hospital San Antonio where she was pronounced dead by hospital staff around 3 a.m.
JBSA - Fort Sam Houston confirmed that Mitchell was the victim after being contacted by the hospital. The base said she was on holiday leave at the time of her death.
"We are devastated by the tragic loss of Drill Sergeant Jessica Mitchell," Maj. Gen. Dennis LeMaster, the MEDCoE Commanding General, said in a release. "Our sincere condolences go out to her family and friends. We are focused on supporting Drill Sergeant Mitchell's family as well as her soldiers during this extremely difficult time."
Sgt. Jessica Mitchell, a 68E dental specialist, had been assigned to MEDCoE since August 2019. Before her most recent assignment, Mitchell served at a JBSA dental clinic since October 2017.
The investigation into the sergeant's death is ongoing with both the San Antonio Police Department and the Army's Criminal Investigation Division looking into the incident.
