Hawaii

Sailor Who Shot Himself in a Hawaii Hotel Was From New York

If you or someone you know is at risk of suicide please call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text TALK to 741741 or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources

A US Navy sailor awaits the start of his re-enlistment ceremony on July 28, 2011 outside the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles in conjunction with the Summer X-Games.  Earlier this year US President Barack Obama asked the Pentagon to find $400 billion in cuts to national security but as the August 2 debt ceiling deadline approaches some members of Congress have suggested doubling that number to cut $800 billion from defense spending as part of efforts to reduce the nation’s $14.3 trillion debt.   AFP PHOTO / Robyn Beck (Photo by Robyn BECK / AFP) (Photo by ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)

The U.S. Navy sailor who shot and killed himself at a luxury Hawaii resort was assigned to the Naval Submarine Support Center in Pearl Harbor.

Lt. Cmdr. Russell Cruz, 40, of New York, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in a room at the Kahala Hotel & Resort after a standoff with Honolulu police over the weekend.

About 100 people were ushered into a ballroom for hours while Cruz remained barricaded in a fourth-floor room. Police said he fired through the door multiple times. No one else was injured.

Watch NBC 4 free wherever you are

Watch button  WATCH HERE

The Navy released details about his identity Wednesday. The Honolulu Medical Examiner's office released his name on Monday.

The center he was assigned to provides operational support for Pearl Harbor homeported submarines, their crews, families and staff of Submarine Squadrons One and Seven.

Get Tri-state area news delivered to your inbox with NBC New York's News Headlines newsletter.

Newsletter button  SIGN UP

“Every member of our Navy team is important; this is a painful time for our local community and the U.S. Navy,” said a statement from Cmdr. Cindy Fields, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Pacific Fleet submarine force.

Cruz was a Navy supply officer and a submarine warfare qualified officer, Fields said.

According to his bio, he enlisted in 2001.

If you or someone you know is at risk of suicide please call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text TALK to 741741 or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.

Copyright The Associated Press
Contact Us