19-Year-Old U.S. Navy Seaman Found Dead at Naval Station Great Lakes

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The Lake County Coroner's Office has identified the 19-year-old U.S. Navy Seaman Apprentice who was found unresponsive and pronounced dead in a barracks at Naval Station Great Lakes near North Chicago on February 8. The cause and manner of Joshua Jones' death are still pending expanded toxicology testing.

Why it matters

The death of a young active-duty service member on a military base raises concerns and questions that require a thorough investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident and provide closure for the sailor's family and the naval community.

The details

Joshua Jones, 19, who is originally from Florida, was found unresponsive in a non-recruit barracks at Naval Station Great Lakes. He was pronounced dead at the scene, and the Lake County Coroner's Office is awaiting the results of expanded toxicology testing to determine the cause and manner of death. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) is leading the investigation in accordance with base protocol.

• On February 8, the Navy Region Mid-Atlantic Fire & Emergency Services and Great Lakes Police Department responded to a medical call in a barracks at Naval Station Great Lakes around 12:15 p.m.
• The autopsy was completed last week, but no cause or manner of death has been determined.

What’s next

The results of the expanded toxicology testing are expected to provide more information about the cause and manner of Joshua Jones' death.