Two Active-duty Airmen assigned to the 319th Reconnaissance Wing at Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D., are dead following an early morning shooting at the base, according to an Air Force statement.
The names and ranks of the victims are being withheld, pending next of kin notification.
“Our community has been through a lot in recent days, and weeks, and months. We’d like to ask for your continued patience and understanding as we work through the next of kin notifications,” 319th Reconnaissance Wing Commander Col. Cameron Pringle said during a June 1 press conference. “We will care for our Airmen, their families, and our community. We will get the mission done, because we are the warriors of the North, and we will get through this together.”
Video: Airman 1st Class Brody Katka/Grand Forks Air Force Base
The shooting, which is believed to be an isolated incident, occurred around 4:30 a.m. on June 1. “Let me be clear, our installation is safe,” Pringle added.
The Air Force Office of Special Investigations is conducting an investigation and mental health experts are on scene “to care for those impacted,” the service said.
About 2,000 Total Force Airmen are assigned to the wing, which supports the 69th Reconnaissance Group’s RQ-4 Global Hawk mission.