The Marine Corps Saturday released the names of the three Marines who died in a shooting Thursday night at a base in Quantico, Va.
"We send our prayers and condolences to the families, fellow Marines and friends of the Marines who were lost in this tragic incident," Col. David W. Maxwell, base commander, said in a statement. "Our priority is to take care of and support all of those who are affected by this loss."
A relationship dispute is believed to have been the cause of the shooting. Military officials said Friday that a Marine, identified on Saturday as Sgt. Eusebrio Lopez, opened fire on two of his comrades before shooting himself.
Lopez, 25, of Pacifica, Calif., was a tactics instructor at the school. He joined the Marine Corps in May 2006 and was promoted to his current rank in July 2011. Lopez had served in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
Lance Cpl. Sara Castromata, 19, of Oakley, Calif., served as a warehouse clerk. She joined the Marine Corps in December 2011, and was promoted to her current rank in February 2013.
Cpl. Jacob Wooley, 23, of Guntown, Miss., was a field radio operator. He joined the Marine Corps in February 2010 and was promoted to his current rank in July 2012. Wooley was “loud and hilarious,” according to a classmate, and had thought about becoming a preacher, The Washington Post reported.
“All the young people loved him and thought of him as a fine person. I guess he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, is what it sounds like," his great-aunt, Jean Luker, told the Post.
The names of the victims were withheld for 24 hours following the notification of the last next of kin. The last relative was notified before 10 p.m. on Friday, base spokesman Lt. Agustin Solivan told NBC News in an email on Saturday.
The incident remains under investigation by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.
Military police and Prince William County, Va., sheriffs responded at about 10:30 p.m. local time on Thursday after reports that shots had been fired, Maxwell said at a press conference on Friday.
Responders found one victim dead on the scene, a Marine official said on Friday. Two more bodies were later found when authorities entered the barracks.
“This is a truly tragic loss again for the Marine Corps, which has had a number of tragic losses in the last couple of weeks,” Maxwell said.
A message on the base’s Facebook page cautioned residents to stay inside their homes with their doors locked as the situation developed on Thursday evening. An emergency alert system was also used to notify base personnel.
The base returned to normal operations at 2:30 a.m., Maxwell said on Friday.
