Lance Cpl. Riley Allstatt, a 22-year-old Marine from Marion, Indiana, died late on September 10 following an incident inside an armory at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, California. He had married his wife, Anna, less than two weeks earlier, and had learned only days before his death that the couple was expecting their first child.
Allstatt was found “incapacitated” by another Marine that evening and was later pronounced dead, according to nbcpalmsprings.com. The Marine Corps has not confirmed that the death resulted from an accidental weapons discharge inside the armory, and the case remains under investigation, the outlet reports. Separately, WTHR reports that the Marine Corps has released few details about the incident, and that investigators have not yet determined whether it was accidental. Allstatt's family has said the death was not a suicide, per WTHR's reporting on their briefing.
Allstatt, an Indianapolis native, worked as an armorer responsible for maintaining weapons and issuing ammunition to fellow Marines, according to WTHR. He served with the 1st Marine Division, per the same nbcpalmsprings.com account, and was stationed at the Twentynine Palms base while awaiting a planned October deployment to Okinawa, Japan.
A Wedding, a Pregnancy, and Then Tragedy
Allstatt married Anna on August 29, just 12 days before his death, according to nbcpalmsprings.com's reporting. He learned about a week before he died that the couple was expecting their first child, per WTHR. His father, Mark Alstatt, told WTHR that Riley was truly excited about his upcoming deployment, and said the investigation into his son's death could take anywhere from a month to a year.
Christa Thompson, according to WTHR, said she had initially opposed Riley joining the Marines. Two Marines arrived at the Alstatts' far east Indianapolis home at 2 a.m. on September 11 to deliver the news, the station reports.
From Roncalli Lacrosse Fields to the Marine Corps
Before enlisting, Allstatt played football and lacrosse at Roncalli High School and continued playing lacrosse at Anderson University, according to WTHR. He left Anderson to pursue military service, drawn to the discipline and challenge of becoming a Marine, the station reports. At Twentynine Palms, he reportedly taught fellow Marines how to play lacrosse and was remembered for his kindness and for caring about people, per WTHR's account.
A Horse Sanctuary's Gift and a Fundraiser
In Twentynine Palms, the Whispering Sands horse sanctuary donated a horse to Anna after witnessing the bond she and Riley had formed, according to nbcpalmsprings.com. Sanctuary founder Delissa Chase started a GoFundMe seeking $6,000 to cover transporting the horse to Idaho along with feed and ongoing care; as of Thursday, the fundraiser had raised nearly $900 toward that goal, the outlet reports.
Homecoming and Burial Plans in Indianapolis
Allstatt's body is expected to be returned to Indianapolis on October 1, accompanied by a Marine escort, according to WTHR. Passengers are expected to remain seated after landing while Marines remove his casket from the cargo hold, the station reports. His casket will then be escorted to Crown Hill Cemetery, with Marine Corps Riders and VFW Riders expected to accompany the procession, per WTHR's reporting.
NBC Palm Springs reported that Allstatt was expected to be laid to rest in Indiana on October 3. WTHR separately reported Crown Hill Cemetery as the planned burial site. WTHR reports that his family has planned a permanent memorial at the cemetery, including a bench bearing his name located near Crown Hill's Wall of Valor. He is survived by his parents, his wife Anna, their unborn child, his sister Tatum, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends, according to the station.
Armory Security Under Scrutiny Marine-Corps-Wide
Allstatt's death comes amid broader scrutiny of Marine Corps armory security. A 2018 Government Accountability Office review found that nearly half of the Marine Corps security inspections it examined were conducted late, and that two of six Corps locations surveyed did not follow guidance for inspections and documentation, according to Military Times. The GAO found at least one physical security deficiency at every one of the six locations it reviewed, the outlet reports.
In response, a Marine Corps administrative message has directed that physical-security surveys be conducted by trained and certified specialists, and it requires commanders to submit a corrective action report and plan within 90 days of any identified deficiency, per Military Times. The Associated Press has reported that the Marine Corps recorded 204 lost or stolen weapons, including firearms and grenade launchers, between 2010 and 2019, according to the same Military Times account.
