A mysterious shooting near Fort Liberty, formerly known as Fort Bragg, involving two Chechen men and a U.S. Army Special Forces colonel is under investigation by local authorities and the Army Criminal Investigation Division.

The incident occurred on May 3 at 8:15 p.m. when the colonel, who resides near the base, called about a suspected trespasser on his property. The caller alleged that 35-year-old Ramzan Daraev of Chicago was taking photographs of his children. During a confrontation near a power line in a wooded area, Daraev was shot several times at close range.

A second man, Dzhankutov Adsalan, was questioned by authorities and released. Neither Daraev nor Adsalan had personal identification on them at the time of the incident.

Sheriff Ronnie Fields stated, “The deceased was found approximately 250 yards from the roadway, along a powerline on the residential property. Identification was not initially found on Daraev; however, his identity was later confirmed through family members and an international identification located in his vehicle.”

Daraev’s family has launched a Change.org petition called “Justice for Ramzan Daraev,” which has garnered over 11,000 signatures. The petition states, “Ramzan left Russia, not realizing that the greatest injustice against him would be done in a free country where in theory he should have received protection.”

The FBI has not opened a counterintelligence investigation, stating that the local investigation has not uncovered evidence of a federal crime.