Deveran Lee Owen – Private First Class, United States Army

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24 July 2008:

A Fort Stewart soldier accidentally shot and killed himself Wednesday night in Long County when he was playing with a gun he believed was empty.

The shooting happened shortly after 9pm outside a mobile home on Dena Circle. According to Long County detective Nickey Anderson, 22-year-old Deveran Owen went with a group of friends to the Dena Circle home.

It was there detectives say he started playing with the handgun purchased by a friend earlier that morning. According to detectives, Owen did not realize it was loaded when the accident occurred.

Owen had just returned from Iraq on July 3, 2008, and lived on Fort Stewart, Georgia.

24 July 2008:

A Fort Stewart soldier is dead tonight after reportedly shooting himself in the head by accident.

It happened Wednesday night outside a mobile home in Long County, Georgia. The 22-year-old soldier had just returned from 15 month deployment to Iraq on July 3, 2008.  Official said Deveran Owen was pronounced dead on the scene.

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Photo Courtesy of Caroline

Sheriff's Detective Nickey Anderson said Owen's friend John Brumley, 24 of Allenhurst, Georgia, had purchased a .45-caliber weapon Wednesday, and was visiting the home of John Wells, 25 when the shooting occurred.

The men had been standing outside the mobile home along with 3 teens when Wells and Brumley went into the residence. Wells told police he heard a single gunshot, ran outside and found Owen’s laying face down on the ground with a gunshot wound to the head. Wells said they rolled Owens over, called 911 and began to perform CPR on the unresponsive soldier. When emergency medical personnel arrived they took over and eventually pronounced Owen’s dead.

“Witnesses said Owen had apparently been playing around with the gun — taking the clip in and out. He did not realize there was a round in the clip when he put the gun to his head and fired the round,” Anderson said.

Middleton said the death “appears to be an unfortunate accident at this point.”

The body has been transported to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation crime lab for autopsy.

25 July 2008:

A 22-year-old Fort Stewart solider died Wednesday night after accidentally shooting himself in the head just three weeks after returning from a deployment in Iraq, authorities said.

Long County sheriff's Deputy Shane Middleton said he responded to a call about an incident at a mobile home on Dena Circle about 9 p.m. and saw the soldier on the ground and unresponsive.

Deveran Owen of Arlington, Washington, was pronounced dead at the scene when emergency responders arrived, Middleton said.

Sheriff's Detective Nickey Anderson said Owen's friend, John Brumley, 24, of Allenhurst, Georgia, had purchased a .45-caliber weapon Wednesday and was visiting the home of John Wells, 25, when the shooting occurred.

The men had been standing outside the mobile home along with three teenagers when Wells and Brumley went into the residence. Wells told police he heard a single gunshot, ran outside and found Owen face-down on the ground with a gunshot wound to the head.

Wells said they rolled Owens over, called 911 and began to administer CPR, but Owen was unresponsive and remained that way as emergency medical personnel arrived.

“Witnesses said Owen had apparently been playing around with the gun – taking the clip in and out,” Anderson said. “He did not realize there was a round in the clip when he put the gun to his head and fired.”

Middleton said Owen's death “appears to be an unfortunate accident at this point.”

Owen returned July 3, 2008, from a 15-month deployment to Iraq. His body was taken to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation crime lab in Savannah for an autopsy.

NOTE: Private Owen was laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery following services at the Fort Myer, Virginia, Post Chapel, on Thursday, 14 August 2008.

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