--- title: "An Army drill sergeant has died after being found in her car with ‘multiple gunshot wounds’" description: "An Army drill sergeant was pronounced dead on Jan. 1 after she was found in her car by law enforcement, having been shot \"multiple times.\"" date: "2021-01-03" modified: "2021-01-06" authors: - name: "Haley Britzky" job_title: "Former Army Reporter" link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/haley-britzky.md" url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/army-drill-sergeant-shooting/" categories: - "Army" - "Around the World" - "Military Branches" - "News" - "United States" --- # An Army drill sergeant has died after being found in her car with ‘multiple gunshot wounds’ ![]() An Army drill sergeant was pronounced dead on Jan. 1 after she was found in her car by law enforcement, having been shot "multiple times." Staff Sgt. Jessica Mitchell, a dental specialist at the U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence on Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, Texas, was pronounced dead at 3 a.m. on Jan. 1, according to a JBSA press release. Her unit was notified by the hospital that she "was the victim of multiple gunshot wounds." Mitchell previously worked at a JBSA dental clinic since Oct. 2017. She was on holiday leave at the time. According to the San Antonio Police Department, officers were dispatched just after 2 a.m. on Jan. 1 for "a stranded vehicle in the fast lane" near Interstate 10. When they arrived, they found a white Dodge Challenger with "multiple gunshots to the driver's side door and window." Officers "opened the vehicle door and checked for a pulse" of the victim who "appeared to have been struck multiple times but were unable to locate one." "The victim was transported by EMS to University Hospital where she was pronounced deceased by hospital staff," the statement says. Maj. Gen. Dennis LeMaster, the MEDCoE commander, said in the JBSA press release that they are "devastated by the tragic loss of Drill Sergeant Jessica Mitchell. "Our sincere condolences go out to her family and friends," LeMaster said. "We are focused on supporting Drill Sergeant Mitchell's family as well as her soldiers during this extremely difficult time." Deborah Mitchell, Jessica's mother, told San Antonio [Fox-affiliate station KABB]() that she had spoken with her daughter on Monday. "She was telling us her dreams," Deborah said. Jessica's father, Mayo, told KABB that he told all of his children, "I want you to do better than what I have done." "She and my children have so far and she wanted to be the best that she can be in her military career," Mayo told KABB. "But that was cut short." The Army Criminal Investigation Command and San Antonio Police Department are investigating the situation. Homicide investigators "are working diligently to determine motive and identify the perpetrator(s)," according to SAPD. *Featured photo: Army Staff Sgt. Jessica Mitchell. (Photo via U.S. Army)* ## Author Haley Britzky was the Task & Purpose Army reporter from 2019 to 2022. She previously worked at Axios covering breaking news. She reports on important developments within the service, from new uniforms to new policies; the realities of military life facing soldiers and their families; and broader cultural issues that expand outside of the Army, touching each of the military services. ### Author social links [LinkedIn]() [Twitter]() ## More - [Army offering $25,000 reward for information on ‘senseless murder’ of drill sergeant]() - [Air Force investigating how the body of a man with no military connection wound up on a Texas base]() - [Years after being injured in Iraq, this Army medic has shattered another Paralympic world record]() - [Special Forces colonel arrested in 2020 for domestic violence could have his tab revoked]() - [An Army officer may have nuked his career with a single tweet]() - [Hands-on with the Barrett MRAD, the US military’s favorite new sniper rifle]() - [We finally know the backstory of how Defense Secretary Austin got the Silver Star]() - [What’s Next In War: US military weapons, gear and tech in 2022]()