A United States soldier, her husband, and her two children were found dead in their residence at Fort Stewart in Georgia last Wednesday. Army officials have indicated that the the cause of the soldier and her family’s deaths was “domestic in nature.”
After initially withholding the names of the soldier and her family, Fort Stewart Hunter Army Airfield posted an update on social media identifying the names of the deceased individuals. According to the Army, Staff Sgt. Meiziaha T. Cooper and her husband Desmond Cooper were found dead alongside their 4-year old and 9-year old children at their Fort Stewart residence.
According to Stars and Stripes, military police at Fort Stewart were sent to check on the family Wednesday around 2 p.m., when they found all four family members unresponsive. The soldier and her family were later pronounced dead around 5:30 p.m.
“Fort Stewart law enforcement is on the scene of an incident in on-post housing,” military officials wrote in a statement. “The Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division is aware of and investigating this incident. There is no reason to believe that there is an extended threat to our community.”
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Fort Stewart officials explained that Cooper first joined the Army in October of 2012 and served as a culinary noncommissioned officer. Throughout her military service, Cooper received six Army Achievement Medals and four Army Commendation Medals.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Staff Sgt. Cooper’s family, friends and teammates during this very difficult and tragic time,” 3rd Infantry Division Deputy Commander of Operations, Col. Jeremy S. Wilson, said. “Our community has been shaken by this unspeakable tragedy and out of respect to the family, we ask for privacy to grieve this loss.”
Fort Stewart officials noted that the “initial findings” of the investigation into the death of Cooper and her family indicated that the incident was “domestic in nature.” However, Army officials explained that additional information regarding the incident would not be provided as the investigation remains “ongoing.”
According to Stars and Stripes, Fort Stewart is located outside Hinesville, Georgia, which is roughly 40 miles from Savannah. Fort Stewart houses the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division and serves as the largest military base east of the Mississippi River.
