Fort Bliss Soldier Kills Self In SWAT Standoff

A U.S. Army soldier died on Tuesday after shooting himself in the chest during a standoff with El Paso Police.

Robert Nichols, 24, shot himself Monday night, El Paso Police spokesman Mike Baranyay said. He was taken to William Beaumont Army Medical Center at Fort Bliss where he later died.

Police went to Nichols’ northeast El Paso home after getting a call about a suicide in progress. After officers heard several gunshots from inside the home, Nichols came out and later shot himself as police looked on.

Details of Nichols’ Army service were not immediately available.

“Our deepest sympathies are with the Nichols family and our extended Fort Bliss Army family; one suicide is one too many. We are committed to ensuring our Soldiers and Families know they can seek help anytime of day. We stand shoulder to shoulder with our Soldiers and our entire command personally reviews all suicides in order to help identify the causes so we can smartly intervene before tragedy strikes,” Maj. Gen. Dana J.H. Pittard, Fort Bliss Commanding General, said in a statement.

Fort Bliss officials said military authorities have investigated three other suspected suicides involving soldiers from the post this year.

The U.S. Army suffered 32 suicides in June, the highest number for a single month since January 2009, when the suicide rate in the Army began to spike, according to a report by The Washington Post.

The Army’s suicide rate in 2009 exceeded the rate among civilians for the first time in decades.

Related Link:Link:U.S. Army Suicide Prevention Webpage