The Army has released the identity of an 18-year-old soldier who was found dead last week in the barracks at Fort Jackson in Columbia, South Carolina.
Private Danielle A. Shields was found unresponsive Oct. 7, according to WLTX in Columbia. Though Army staff performed emergency measures on her and she was taken to a hospital, she was later pronounced dead, the station reported Tuesday.
“This is a very hard time for all who knew Danielle and we continue to provide comfort to her teammates. Chaplains and other medical professionals are helping those who are in need,” Brig. Gen. Jason Kelly, commander at Fort Jackson, said in a news release, The State newspaper reported.
The cause of Shields’ death had not been announced by the Army and there are ongoing investigations.
But officials did clarify that Shields’ death was not related to COVID-19 or training exercises, The State reported.
Pvt. Danielle A. Shields, an active duty soldier in basic combat training, was found in her barracks area Friday, Army officials said Tuesday in a news release.https://t.co/WI5i8WRdSG
— Stars and Stripes (@starsandstripes) October 11, 2022
Shields was from Decatur, Georgia, and was in Delta Company, 2nd Battalion, 13th Infantry Regiment, according to WLTX.
“A loss of a teammate is never easy,” Kelly said in the statement, according to WMBF-TV in Myrtle Beach.
“We extend our deepest sympathies to her family, friends and loved ones. We are providing comfort and assistance to everyone who knew her.”
Fort Jackson also announced that there would be a 48-hour training stand-down due to Shields’ death, Stars and Stripes reported.
Shields’ death is also the second death that has happened at Fort Jackson this year.
In August, Alyssa Cahoon, a Pennsylvania Army National Guard soldier, died at the South Carolina base, Stars and Stripes reported.
Cahoon, 17, reportedly collapsed during training on Aug. 17, WLTX reported.
She was taken to the hospital and later pronounced dead there.
According to a statement from her family published on Facebook by the 1st Batallion 34th Regiment, Cahoon had a “completely undetectable and very rare heart abnormality.”
Her twin sister, Brianna, who was training with Alyssa at Fort Jackson, has been found to have the same abnormality, the statement said. She will receive an internal defibrillator.
