Jakarta Depot Shooting, One Officer Killed, Army Investigators Name Fellow Soldier As Suspect

Jakarta, Indonesia— Military police cordoned off a weapons depot inside the Kopassus complex in Cijantung early Tuesday after a service rifle discharged during routine handling and killed a fellow officer on the spot.

The shot was fired at approximately 08:30 local time inside a storage and maintenance building, according to initial field reports from unit personnel. The victim, an active-duty officer, sustained a fatal wound and was declared dead before medical evacuation could be completed. No other personnel were injured in the immediate blast area.

Investigators from the Military Police Center said the shooter was a colleague from the same detachment who was handling the weapon when it fired. The man was secured within minutes and taken for questioning. A preliminary assessment points to negligence in weapons handling, not an intentional act.

"The weapon was not on a firing line. It was being checked. A round was in the chamber," a senior army officer familiar with the inquiry said. He spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is still open. The rifle has been seized as evidence along with duty logs and CCTV footage from the depot corridor.

By afternoon, military police had elevated the status of the shooter to suspect. That designation allows investigators to detain, formally question, and restrict movement while the case file is built. Army officials said the suspect remains under custody inside the Jakarta garrison.

Kopassus command released a short statement confirming a fatal accident and pledging full cooperation. "We have handed the case to military police. There will be no interference. Facts will determine the next steps," the statement read.

The depot in Cijantung holds standard-issue rifles and sidearms used for daily guard duties and training rotations. Sources inside the unit said morning weapon checks are standard after night shift. Safety protocols require chamber clearance before any handling inside storage.

Relatives of the deceased were notified and the body was transferred to the army hospital for autopsy. The unit has suspended all non-essential weapons handling in that depot pending a safety audit.

The case now moves to the military prosecutor. Investigators have 48 hours to decide whether to file formal charges for negligent homicide under military criminal code.