A U.S. soldier killed a member of his unit during a safety briefing at Fort Bragg in North Carolina on Thursday, then shot and injured himself, the Army base said in a statement.
The injured gunman is in custody, and Fort Bragg military police secured the scene within minutes, a spokesman for the base said. A third soldier was slightly injured by the gunfire.
None of the soldiers was immediately identified.
NBC reports the dead soldier was a battalion commander. The victim is from the 525th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade, a unit that conducts reconnaissance and intelligence.
“This is a tragedy for our community,” Col. Kevin Arata, spokesman for Fort Bragg, said during a press conference. “We don’t yet know the reasons for the shooting, but are working with the unit and the affected families to help them through this difficult period.”
© 2013 Thomson/Reuters. All rights reserved.