Pentagon police found a military service member dead in a vehicle parked outside the building on Tuesday, according to reports.
Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said officers responded to a call for a welfare check at the building’s North Parking when they found the body of the unidentified individual.
Military service member found dead in Pentagon parking lot https://t.co/5d3hJ0zhiV
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“At approximately 3:30 p.m. EDT today the Pentagon Operations Center received a call requesting a welfare check on a military service member. Pentagon Police Officers responded to North Parking and discovered the service member in his vehicle apparently deceased,” Ryder said, The Hill reported.
Arlington County Medical Services also responded to the scene and confirmed that the service member was deceased. Ryder did not release any additional details on the incident and said that the investigation is still ongoing.
The serviceman’s identity is expected to be disclosed 24 hours after the next-of-kin has been notified of the death, Pentagon spokesman Sue Gough told the Military Times on Wednesday.
Reporters have reached out to the U.S. Department of Defense for comment, but they did not immediately return the request.
While information is still limited, netizens were quick to theorize on the cause of death, ranging from suicide to straight up murder.
“Kinda sounds like he may have taken his own life. They went looking for him because his family reported him missing,” one user tweeted. “So heartbreaking, praying for his family.”
“Given the ruthlessness of the Deep State, our shadow government, I hope this man didn’t know too much for his own good,” another one wrote.
Others, meanwhile, noted the symbolism of the man dying in a government building meant to protect the country from domestic threats.
“And, no one in the building that should hang their head in shame will notice one speck of the symbolism. They’ll just hope everything is cleared out of the parking lot before they have to leave for lunch,” commented one user.
“The Pentagon is a huge place with significant parking required. To have someone pass [from living] there strikes me as a normal thing not requiring, absent significant other data, the coverage given here,” wrote another.
