The U.S. Navy has charged a sailor with murder and manslaughter in connection with the death of a fellow serviceman aboard the USS John F. Kennedy. According to USNI News, the charges against Seaman Jayjrion Rodriguez include multiple counts of murder, involuntary manslaughter, and reckless endangerment involving a firearm.

The incident took place on June 6 when Rodriguez allegedly shot his colleague, Seaman Jesse Braswell, in the head while they were performing security duties on the aircraft carrier, which was docked at port. Initially held in custody, Rodriguez was released on June 11.

The Navy filed charges against Rodriguez on July 27, with the murder and manslaughter allegations stemming from Braswell's death. Additional charges relate to Rodriguez reportedly pointing a loaded firearm at three other sailors while aboard the USS John F. Kennedy.

Meredith March, a spokesperson for the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), stated that the agency is conducting a thorough and objective investigation to ascertain the facts surrounding this tragic incident. The motives behind Rodriguez's actions have not yet been disclosed.

The USS John F. Kennedy recently completed its sea trials on August 12, and the Navy is expected to hold a hearing in the coming weeks. The aircraft carrier is the second ship of the Gerald R. Ford class and was ordered by the Pentagon in 2013. Construction began in 2015, and it was launched four years later, with an initial delivery date set for 2022.

Measuring 333 meters in length and 78 meters in width, the USS John F. Kennedy has a displacement of 100,000 tons and can reach speeds exceeding 56 km/h. It is designed to carry over 75 aircraft, including the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler, among others.

While the Navy initially planned for a two-phase delivery schedule, Congress mandated that the USS John F. Kennedy must be capable of operating the F-35C stealth fighter upon commissioning, delaying its delivery to 2024. Subsequent delays have pushed the timeline to July 2025 and then to March 2027, with the Government Accountability Office (GAO) warning that the Navy may not receive the ship until July 2027 or later due to ongoing issues with the Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) system.

Other factors contributing to delays in the construction of the USS John F. Kennedy, as well as the third Ford-class ship, the USS Enterprise, include material shortages and persistent workforce issues at the shipyard. In 2018, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) estimated the ship's cost at approximately $11.3 billion, a figure adjusted to $13.196 billion in a December 2025 report, although it remains unclear whether inflation was accounted for.