The National Guard soldier who was found dead in a Washington, D.C., hotel room last week has been identified as Spc. Justin Grennell.
Grennell, 26, of Marcellus, New York, was serving in the nation’s capital to help with security efforts after a riot occurred at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 that left five people dead. The National Guard confirmed Grennell’s identity to the Washington Examiner on Sunday.
EXCLUSIVE: NATIONAL GUARD ASSOCIATION CALLS FOR END OF MISSION AT THE CAPITOL
The soldier who died while serving on the D.C. Capitol mission was SPC Justin Grennell. He was found unresponsive in his hotel, no foul play suspected. He served in A Troop, 2/101st Cavalry – New York National Guad pic.twitter.com/m2JzBdYuc9
— Steve Beynon (@StevenBeynon) March 13, 2021
“All of us in the New York National Guard are deeply saddened by the death of this young soldier. When our State and Nation called, he stepped forward and enlisted. Following the attack on our nation’s Capital on January 6th he selflessly deployed to Washington, DC. Our thoughts are with his family in this most trying time,” Maj. Gen. Ray Shields, the adjutant general of New York, said in a press release obtained by the Washington Examiner.
Grennell was found unresponsive while off-duty in his hotel room. He was found by his roommate, who called 911 and gave him CPR while waiting for emergency personnel to arrive.
Grennell was pronounced dead on Thursday, and his death is being investigated by local police.
Grennell was one of 540 National Guard members who traveled to the nation’s capital from New York to help with security after President Biden’s inauguration.
The soldier first enlisted in the New York Army National Guard in 2014 and served in support of its COVID-19 pandemic response mission last year. He won several military awards during his tenure in the state National Guard.
Around 2,000 National Guard members are expected to remain throughout May to help with security in Washington, a decision with which the National Guard Association disagreed.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
“This enduring requirement of having them around the city, I think it’s completely inappropriate at best, illegal at worst,” National Guard Association Chairman and Arizona Adjutant General Michael McGuire told the Washington Examiner on Friday.
