3 children die on same day at Camp Lejeune Marine Base Camp Lejeune Marine base. (Gaston Gazette/TNS)
Three children died in two separate incidents on Saturday at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Base officials confirmed the deaths to WNCT and other local media channels and said the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) has begun investigations.
“We are aware of the tragic passing of three dependent children in two separate incidents on MCB Camp Lejeune April 16, and offer our deepest condolences to the families of those affected,” Marine spokesman 1st Lt. Ace Padilla told WNCT.
Base officials did not provide many details about the deaths of the three children. Padilla only said, “There was no shooting incident tied to either event.”
Officials also did not provide information about the ages or identities of the dependent children who died on Saturday.
“Out of respect for the families and the investigative process, we are not providing additional information and NCIS does not comment on or confirm details relating to ongoing investigations,” Padilla added.
On Thursday, Rep. Greg Murphy (R-NC) called for more transparency surrounding the deaths and the investigation.
“I think transparency is never a bad thing. As facts come out we just need to know,” Murphy said, according to WITN.
“I understand investigations that are ongoing, they need to be given clearance to be able to do their job. . . but also transparency with the public about actually what’s going on, so that God forbid if something were like this to ever happen again, we could prevent it before it ever does,” Murphy added.
WNCT reported Camp Lejeune had hosted Easter events, including an Easter egg hunt, egg relay races and face painting last Friday, the day before the three deaths.
Two U.S. Marines were killed and seventeen more were injured in January after a seven-ton medium tactical vehicle replacement (MTVR) rolled over in a highway crash near the base. Investigators believe the rollover occurred when the vehicle’s driver drove too fast around a right-hand turn.
