Lanija Antionne Gilpatrick was 22 when he died in Jacksonville, North Carolina, on July 26, 2013. His death was first reported as an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound. An anonymous Facebook message to Gilpatrick’s mother in 2015 claimed he had been shot by fellow Marine Tyler Prudden, prompting authorities to reopen the case.

Investigators later determined that Prudden had pointed a gun he believed to be unloaded at Gilpatrick and pulled the trigger; the bullet struck Gilpatrick in the eye. Prudden was arrested on July 19, 2016, and ultimately pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter on September 20, 2019. His ex-wife, Lori Green Prudden, told him the police knew he was responsible, which played a part in his confession. Reports also note Prudden had a prior history of reckless firearm handling.