By Monica Land
CORINTH – Funeral services are scheduled for 1 p.m. today for a Mississippi native and Marine corporal gunned down during a murder-suicide at the Quantico Marine Base in Virginia.
On Thursday, March 21, Cpl. Jacob Lee Wooley, 23, of Corinth, was pronounced dead at the scene after a shooting incident at Taylor Hall during Officer Candidates School (OCS) in Triangle, Virginia.
Wooley and 19-year-old Lance Cpl. Sara Castromata, of Oakley, Calif., were shot to death by fellow Marine and tactics instructor, 25-year-old Sgt. Eusebio Lopez. Lopez then shot himself. Officials at Quantico said all three Marines had been assigned to OCS and all three were pronounced at the scene.
Other than to say the three Marines worked together at the school, military officials have not described their relationship or released a motive for the shooting, the Associated Press reported.
Lopez, of Pacifica, Calif., was a teacher whose specialty was machine gunner. He joined the corps in May 2006 and deployed in support of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Known for its grueling 10-week program, OCS evaluates Marines on physical stamina, intelligence and leadership. The candidates must complete obstacle courses, hikes of up to 12 miles in full combat gear and take classes on navigation and tactics that help them in the field, according to the school’s website.
Quantico confirmed that Castromata was a warehouse clerk who had been in the Marines since December 2011 and that Wooley joined the Marines in February 2010 and was a field operator.
Wooley attended Alcorn Central High School and Northeast Mississippi Junior College before joining the Marine Corps in 2010. Promoted to Corporal in July 2012, Wooley received the Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.
During his time in the Marines, Wooley had been stationed for two years in Okinawa, Japan, and had spent time in Thailand and the Philippines.
Quantico officials said late that Thursday night, reports of the shooting pushed the base into Force Protection Condition – Delta, the base’s highest security condition. Immediately, the base was on alert as military police, security support from Prince William Police Department and emergency responders reacted to the call.
“Very quickly it was determined that a mass notification via the Giant Voice System would alert personnel there was an incident and to remain indoors,” said Peter Streng, the base’s director of operations. “At the same time, we made the decision to raise the force protection.”
This decision denied base entry to anyone without DOD identification and screened and searched those people who were exiting the base.
“Soon after the 911 call, we stood up the Emergency Operations Center at Lejeune Hall to assist the command at OCS in managing the tactical operations,” Streng said.
The EOC did not take control of the situation, but rather prepared to send assets to assist the OCS commander.
Throughout Thursday night and into Friday, key staff and other members of the
EOC coordinated and provided capabilities the OCS such as chaplain support, family support and personnel support.
“We have good procedures and we exercised those procedures,” Streng said. “There are always things in hindsight that you can do better, and it’s certainly unfortunate that three people lost their lives, but we’ll use the experiences we gained on March 22 to review our plans, update those plans and move forward.”
The tragic incident was felt throughout OCS, across the base and across the Marine Corps.
“The OCS family is shocked and greatly saddened by the events of March 21,” said Col. Kris Stillings, commanding officer of OCS. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the Marines we lost that night. I want to thank the base and all of the families that have provided OCS support, comfort, and genuine concern during this most difficult time. The OCS family is strong and, together, we will get through this.”
“The men and women who are our first responders at Quantico may be directly impacted [by this tragedy] or be only one or two people removed from the center of this tragic event,” said Col. Barry Neulen, Security Battalion commanding officer. “We rely on Marine Corps leadership to deal with the numerous emotions and questions Marines have in coming to terms with events like this, but one thing for certain is that it will be a long process,” Neulen said. “This tragedy is compounded by the fact that Quantico is, and has always been, a close knit community centered on the common denominator of being a Marine Corps base.”
Cpl. Wooley’s remains arrived in Memphis, Tenn., Friday as a motorcade made its way to the Magnolia Funeral Home in Corinth. Friends, family and complete strangers – moved by the corporal’s death – lined the streets in respect and gratitude for Mississippi’s native son.
Posts of condolence, acknowledgment and words of regret and encouragement continued to pour onto the fallen Marine’s Facebook page.
According to his obituary, family members said Wooley’s “goal in life was to touch others and make a difference“ and to attend Mississippi State University.
Wooley’s family has set up a scholarship fund in his memory that will make it possible for another student to attend MSU.
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