Who was Jessica Mitchell? Army Drill Sgt found shot dead in bullet-riddled car in Texas
Texas Department of Police is investigating the death of a female Drill Sergeant who was found fatally shot on a San Antonio interstate on New Year's Day.
Drill Sgt. Jessica Mitchell, who was assigned to the US Army Medical Center for Excellence at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, was shot to death around 2.30 am on New Year's Day while she was driving on Interstate 10 in San Antonio, according to the San Antonio Police Department.
Firefighters found Mitchell with various gunshot wounds after responding to what they initially thought was a car crash, police said. She was then taken to University Hospital San Antonio, where she was pronounced dead around 3 am, police said. The driver's side door and window of the Dodge Challenger she was found in was riddled with bullet holes, according to San Antonio Express-News.
Nobody has been arrested yet and the police are investigating if Mitchell was targeted. She was recently promoted to the position of drill sergeant assigned to the US Army Medical Center of Excellence (MedCoE) at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston, military officials said. "We are devastated by the tragic loss of Drill Sergeant Jessica Mitchell. Our sincere condolences go out to her family and friends. We are focused on supporting Drill Sergeant Mitchell’s family as well as her soldiers during this extremely difficult time," Maj Gen Dennis LeMaster, the MEDCoE Commanding General, said in a statement.
At the time of her death, Mitchell was on holiday leave. The lethal shooting is being investigated by the San Antonio Police Department and the Army's Criminal Investigation Division. The young mom leaves behind a 10-year-old son, FOX29 said.
Mayo Mitchell, her father, expressed to FOX 29 how proud he is of his daughter for being a fifth-generation member of the military. "I told all my children, I want you to do better than what I have done," he said. "She and my children have so far and she wanted to be the best that she can be in her military career. But that was cut short." Mayo continued: "It's heartbreaking because what this did is reopen the wound and made it worse. It is hard when you lose one child from murder. But it's even harder when you lose two of your children from murder." In 2017, Jessica's brother Justice Mitchell was shot and killed at the age of 18.