19-Year-Old Marine Killed in Shooting at Camp Lejeune Identified by Corps

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This Dec. 2, 2005 file photo shows cars entering the main gate at Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, N.C.
This Dec. 2, 2005 file photo shows cars entering the main gate at Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, N.C. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome, File)

On Friday, the Marine Corps identified a Marine killed in a Wednesday shooting at a Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, barracks that investigators are treating as a homicide.

Lance Cpl. Austin B. Schwenk, 19, and assigned to 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines, died Wednesday evening, with the service announcing that another Marine "suspected of involvement in the death" was apprehended soon after. The suspect has not been identified by the service.

The shooting occurred in an on-base barracks. An investigation is ongoing and is being led by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, or NCIS, a spokesperson for the 2nd Marine Division told Military.com on Friday.

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"We will continue to assist the investigating agency to the fullest extent possible," 1st Lt. Olivia Giarrizzo, the spokesperson, said in an emailed statement. "Our deepest condolences go out to the Marine's family and friends at this time."

Immediately following the suspect's apprehension Wednesday evening, Marine Corps officials released a statement describing the death as a homicide in a press release, though no details about the unit, victim or suspect were released then.

Schwenk was born in Onslow County, North Carolina, the same county that is home to Camp Lejeune. He attended recruit training at Parris Island, South Carolina, and was awarded the National Defense Service Medal.

He enlisted in the Marines in June 2022, according to the service. He was an electro-optical ordnance repairer, where he would have been tasked with fixing missile electronics, night vision devices and other fire control systems.

In 2021, a Marine at Camp Lejeune was shot and injured in a barracks, according to The Associated Press. Officials said that the incident was accidental.

Camp Lejeune experienced another tragedy in July, when three lance corporals were found dead inside a car at a gas station outside of the installation. They died of carbon monoxide poisoning, local authorities said, but investigators did not fully determine the circumstances of the exposure.

-- Drew F. Lawrence can be reached at drew.lawrence@military.com. Follow him on X @df_lawrence.

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