A soldier home on leave from Germany was shot to death in Lompoc, California, on Sunday, according to police.
Spc. Marlon Brumfield, 22, suffered multiple gunshots before dying at the scene in the early hours of Sunday morning, the Lompoc Police Department said in a statement.
Police officers responded to the shooting at approximately 1:53 a.m. First responders attempted to administer life-saving measures but were unsuccessful.
Brumfield was identified as an active duty Army service member in the police statement. He was on leave from Germany for the month visiting home when he was killed while walking down the street, officers said.
Brumfield served as a Stryker systems maintainer, U.S. Army Europe officials confirmed. He joined the service in January 2017, and was last assigned to Vilseck, Germany, officials said.
Army friends of Brumfield posted to social media accounts linked to the young soldier, offering condolences and sharing pictures of their time spent together in military training.
“When I heard the news what happened it didn’t really process to me,” one fellow soldier wrote on his Facebook page. “But I just wanna say you had a big heart and you were one of the few guys that help me get through basic. Rest In Peace Marlon Brumfield.”
The shooting is currently under investigation, but no suspects or motives have been publicly identified by the police.
Lompoc Police Chief Joe Mariani said Monday that his department had undertaken an “active and very aggressive investigation,” according to the city newspaper, The Lompoc Record.
“The detectives here are highly committed and they are working above and beyond,” Mariani said. “Since early Sunday morning, these guys have probably gotten a couple hours of sleep because they’ve been turning every stone and following every lead.”
The Lompoc city mayor also released a statement asking for the public’s help in identifying Brumfield’s assailant.
“I am deeply saddened by the loss of Marlon Brumfield. Marlon’s life impacted Lompoc and the entire country, given his mission to serve. I am very concerned about the rise in crime, and am committed to building a safer Lompoc," Lompoc Mayor Jenelle Osborne wrote in a statement provided to local media.
Kyle Rempfer was an editor and reporter who has covered combat operations, criminal cases, foreign military assistance and training accidents. Before entering journalism, Kyle served in U.S. Air Force Special Tactics and deployed in 2014 to Paktika Province, Afghanistan, and Baghdad, Iraq.
