FBI Continues Shooting Investigation at Ft. Bliss

On Saturday, April 4, 2009, Kevin Patrick Beckel, 23 years old, shot and killed his 19-year-old wife, Cassaundra Nichole Beckel, inside the Ft. Bliss Post Exchange (PX).

The wife, a soldier, had been at Ft. Bliss less than two weeks for training. The husband, who was from Gurnee, Illinois, had lived in Washington State for about a year and had recently moved to El Paso, Texas. According to witnesses, the two had experienced some marital problems recently.

Kevin Beckel, who was unemployed, was seen at the Post Exchange before his wife entered the PX around 4 p.m. Saturday. The two exchanged some conversation inside the PX, then Kevin Beckel pulled out a gun and shot his wife at close range before turning the gun on himself. A suicide note was found at Kevin Beckel’s El Paso residence.

Cassaundra Beckel was pronounced dead at 4:45 p.m. Saturday. Kevin Beckel was pronounced brain dead at 10:55 a.m. Sunday, but was kept on life support until this morning.

The FBI continues to work this case with the U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigation Division. The FBI has primary jurisdiction whenever a civilian crime occurs at a federal reservation (Ft. Bliss, in this case).