Alleged Fort Bliss Shooter Dies

FORT BLISS, Texas — The alleged shooter in a murder-suicide at Fort Bliss died Monday morning, FBI officials confirm.

An FBI spokeswoman said 23-year-old Kevin Patrick Beckel was pronounced brain dead about 11 a.m. Sunday morning but was kept on life support until Monday. He was a civilian.

A suicide note was found at Kevin Beckel’s El Paso home, FBI officials said. The details about the note were not released.

The alleged shooter was from Gurnee, Illinois, had lived in Washington State for about a year and had recently moved to El Paso. According to the FBI, Kevin Beckel was unemployed and had experienced some marital problems with his wife.

The woman killed has been identified as 19-year-old Pfc. Cassaundra Nichole Beckel of Seattle, Washington. Kevin Beckel allegedly shot her in the head Saturday afternoon at the Fort Bliss Post Exchange store before turning the gun on himself. She died about 45 minutes after being shot.

Several witnesses who called the ABC-7 newsroom say the couple were arguing when he shot her and then shot himself.

Fort Bliss officials said Cassaundra Beckel just moved to the post for advanced training. Her husband lived off-post but managed to get on-post with a gun.

Fort Bliss does conduct inspections of some vehicles but not all of them.

At a news conference Sunday, the garrison commander said they are always reviewing their security policies: “I think our procedures on-post for the current state at Ft. Bliss are sufficient but we’re always reviewing them. My MPs and the FBI and the local officials do on a consistent basis, not just because of this.”

The FBI and the U.S. Army continue to investigate the case.