Ft. Bliss Shooting Investigated by FBI

At approximately 3 p.m. yesterday, a white male entered a Shopette Convenience Store, located at

1333 Casssidy Road

on Ft. Bliss and shot two female civilian employees. The gunman, also a civilian, was later shot and killed by a Department of Army Law Enforcement Guard. The two female victims were transported to Beaumont Army Medical Center, where one was pronounced dead and the other remains hospitalized with serious injuries. The deceased victim has been identified as 44-year-old Bettina Maria Goins, of El Paso, Texas. The identity of the surviving victim will not be released due to privacy concerns. The subject, a retired Army sergeant, has been identified as 63-year-old Steven Kropf, of El Paso, Texas.

It is not known whether the shooter had any relationship with either of his victims. The motive for the shooting is still under investigation. It has been determined this was an isolated criminal incident and not terrorism-related. El Paso FBI agents responded to the scene, along with its Evidence Response Team. The agents conducted interviews of army personnel as well as witnesses, and the Evidence Response Team worked late into the night processing the crime scene and vehicle.

The FBI has primary jurisdiction whenever a civilian crime occurs on a federal reservation—in this case, Ft. Bliss. The FBI will continue to work the investigation with Ft. Bliss Criminal Investigation Division and Military Police.