Kennedy has been charged with murder in the death of a fellow sailor aboard the aircraft carrier, according to Navy court documents that also allege he pointed a loaded service pistol at other sailors in multiple incidents before the fatal shooting. Aviation Boatswain's Mate-Aircraft Handling Airman Apprentice Jayjrion Rodriguez faces charges of murder while engaging in an act inherently dangerous to another, involuntary manslaughter, three specifications of simple assault with a loaded firearm and three specifications of reckless endangerment, according to a charge sheet filed by the Navy. The charges stem from the June 6 death of Boatswain's Mate Seaman Jesse Braswell aboard the future USS John F.
Kennedy, a Ford-class aircraft carrier currently undergoing construction and testing in Newport News, Virginia. Newsweek reached out to the Navy and Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) via email for comment. According to the charge sheet, prosecutors allege Rodriguez murdered Braswell "by means of shooting him in the head with a service pistol" on or about June 6 while aboard the ship.
The same filing includes an involuntary manslaughter charge alleging Braswell was unlawfully killed through culpable negligence. The Virginia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled Braswell's death a homicide, meaning another person caused the death. A homicide ruling is a medical determination and does not by itself establish criminal guilt.
Rodriguez was initially held in pretrial confinement after the shooting before being released on June 11, according to USNI News. The Navy formally charged him on July 29. NCIS spokesperson Meredith March told USNI News that the investigation remains active.
"NCIS is committed to conducting a thorough and impartial investigation to determine the exact facts and circumstances surrounding this tragic incident," March said. An Article 32 preliminary hearing, the military equivalent of a civilian grand jury proceeding, is expected to be scheduled in the coming weeks. Beyond the homicide-related allegations, the charge sheet details three separate incidents in February and May in which Rodriguez allegedly pointed a loaded service pistol at fellow sailors aboard the carrier.
The allegations form the basis of three assault charges and three reckless endangerment charges. Prosecutors allege Rodriguez unlawfully pointed loaded firearms at three sailors and engaged in conduct likely to cause death or grievous bodily harm. Braswell's death comes amid broader scrutiny of sailor welfare and safety across the Navy, although officials have not suggested any connection between the Kennedy case and other recent incidents.
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