Trainee shot, seriously injured at Fort Jackson doing better

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - An active duty basic combat trainee who was “very seriously injured” in a shooting at Fort Jackson is still in the hospital but doing better, officials said Thursday.

Pvt. Abraham Koh, 17, an active duty trainee from Los Banos, Calif., suffered a gunshot wound while preparing for training on Jan. 29.

Koh was transported by EMS to a local hospital where he underwent surgery and was initially listed in critical condition.

As of Feb. 4, Koh’s condition has been upgraded to “fair,” officials said.

“We continue to provide help and support to Pvt. Koh on his road of recovery while ensuring his family and his teammates are taken care of as well during this difficult time,” said Fort Jackson Commander Brig. Gen. Milford H. Beagle, Jr. “We thank the community and our extended families for the support you have shown.”

Koh is assigned to C Company, 1st Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment. No other trainees or cadres were injured in the incident.

His unit did pause training to provide “resiliency teams, chaplains, and behavioral health specialists to assist cadre and fellow trainees as they address, cope, and manage the effects that follow a traumatic experience.” It’s unclear if they are training again at this time.

Officials said there’s an investigation underway on what caused the shooting.