FBI probes Coast Guard shooting deaths

• Tweet

KODIAK, Alaska, April 13 (UPI) -- The FBI said it is investigating the shooting deaths of two U.S. Coast Guard members at a communications station in Kodiak, Alaska.

An FBI spokesman said it was too soon to tell what led to the shooting Thursday at the largest Coast Guard base in the United States, the Los Angeles Times reported Friday.

"The investigation is ongoing, and it's still too early to speculate," Eric Gonzalez, FBI spokesman in Anchorage, told the Times.

Investigators wouldn't say whether the assailant was at large, but Chief Petty Officer Kip Wadlow, a Coast Guard spokesman, said officials were advising residents to be careful.

"Because of our concern for the public, we are encouraging them to be extremely vigilant and to keep an eye out for anything suspicious that they may see," Wadlow told the Times. "If they do see anything suspicious, we are requesting that they immediately contact local law enforcement to report it."

The two Coast Guard members were found dead at the Coast Guard Communications Station north of the main Coast Guard base in Kodiak.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of our lost shipmates, and we will provide all the necessary support and guidance they need as they grieve their loved ones," Capt. Jesse Morre, commander of Coast Guard Base Support Unit Kodiak, said in a statement.

The base and nearby schools were locked down for several hours Thursday.