Eight American soldiers stationed in Afghanistan have been charged in connection with a comrade’s death. Pvt. Danny Chen, 19, apparently committed suicide in a guard tower, according to U.S. military officials. He died from an “apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound” at a combat outpost in Kandahar Province. An issued statement indicated that fellow soldiers had been physically abusive, and had taunted Chen with ethnic slurs.
The eight soldiers were charged with various counts ranging from dereliction of duty to making a false statement to assault, negligent homicide and reckless endangerment. Military officials did not release a detailed account of Chen’s death, and did not indicate if the soldiers charged had actually killed Chen, or if their mistreatment led Chen to take his own life.
