A U.S. Navy sailor serving aboard the brand-new aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy has been charged with murder after allegedly shooting a fellow sailor in the head with his service pistol.
Jayjrion Rodriguez, a Boatswain’s Mate and Aircraft Handling Airman Apprentice from Massachusetts, is accused of killing Boatswain’s Mate Seaman Jesse Braswell during an incident on June 6.
Both sailors were reportedly working as part of the ship’s port security detail at the time.
According to court documents, Rodriguez allegedly used his service-issued handgun during the fatal shooting.
He was detained for five days after Braswell’s death but was later released. He has now been formally charged in connection with the case.
The charges include murder while engaging in an act inherently dangerous to another, involuntary manslaughter, three counts of simple assault involving a loaded firearm and three counts of reckless endangerment.
Court documents also allege that the shooting was not the first time Rodriguez had pointed a loaded service weapon at fellow sailors.
Investigators say he allegedly pointed his pistol at three different sailors during separate incidents earlier in the year — once in February and twice in May.
Naval Criminal Investigative Service officials are leading the investigation.
“NCIS is committed to conducting a thorough and impartial investigation to determine the exact facts and circumstances surrounding this tragic incident,” spokesperson Meredith March told USNI News.
The USS John F. Kennedy is one of the Navy’s newest aircraft carriers and is still undergoing testing ahead of its expected entry into active service.
Construction on the carrier began in 2011, and the ship was initially expected to be completed years earlier.
However, design changes, technical issues and other program delays pushed back its timeline.
The carrier is now expected to be officially delivered for active service in March 2027.
The case comes amid increased scrutiny of conditions elsewhere in the Navy.
In recent weeks, reports have raised concerns about morale aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln during an extended deployment.
Some accounts described extremely difficult conditions and alleged that sailors had become so distressed that some attempted to jump overboard.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushed back on those reports, calling them “completely misrepresented.”
President Donald Trump also said an admiral assured him that the Lincoln was being properly maintained and that sailors were being taken care of.
Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego disputed that assessment and blamed broader problems on what he described as poor planning surrounding the conflict in Iran.
The Navy has also faced questions over a separate incident involving the destroyer USS Benfold.
That ship reportedly lost power and drifted in the South China Sea for four days, leaving sailors without working toilets, air conditioning or a functioning galley.
The Benfold was eventually assisted by tugboats and taken to the Philippines for inspection.
Rodriguez is expected to appear at an Article 32 hearing in the coming weeks.
An Article 32 hearing is the military justice system’s equivalent of a preliminary hearing and is used to determine whether there is enough evidence for a court-martial.
The charges against Rodriguez are allegations, and he has not been convicted.
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Why wasn’t he kicked out of the Navy after the first incident?