Kayshawn Wilkerson, 18, a Black/African American male, died on August 6, 2025, at Naval Station Great Lakes in Lake County, Illinois, after sustaining a gunshot wound at the base’s firing range. Emergency responders were called to Building 7315, the USS Wisconsin Firing Range, around early afternoon, where lifesaving efforts were unsuccessful. The Lake County coroner’s office conducted an autopsy and reported that the injury was a gunshot wound to the head, with findings consistent with a self-inflicted wound. He had recently begun Navy boot camp at Recruit Training Command and was formally identified by the Navy in the days following his death.
Authorities said the Naval Criminal Investigative Service opened an inquiry into the circumstances, and officials noted that, out of respect for the family and to preserve the investigation’s integrity, no additional details would be released immediately. Reports from local and national outlets echoed the coroner’s preliminary conclusion while emphasizing that NCIS and the coroner’s office were continuing to review the case. No evidence of foul play was announced.
There were no suspects named, and no arrests were reported in connection with the death of Kayshawn Wilkerson, 18, a male Navy recruit at Great Lakes. Listings that memorialized the incident and official updates from the coroner and Navy reiterated the absence of a criminal assailant and framed the death as consistent with a self-inflicted gunshot during training.
