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A 19-year-old soldier from Spring, Texas, died Monday from an accidental shooting while deployed with the Texas National Guard’s security mission along the U.S.-Mexico border, according to military officials and police.
The pilot ejected safely from the Mirage F-1 fighter aircraft before it crashed at about 11:11 a.m. into an unpopulated area about 15 miles northwest of the base, which is located near Phoenix.
Army officials announced Wednesday that they decided to double the reward money, which was first introduced in September 2020, because investigators hope to stimulate public awareness and generate tips and potential new leads.
The incident was unrelated to the soldier’s mission, according to the Texas Military Department.
In nearly a year since Gov. Greg Abbott kicked off a state military mission known as Operation Lone Star, it has grown from about 500 Guard troops to roughly 10,000 who are mostly assigned to locations along the state’s border with Mexico.