"The incident was investigated by a team led by a US Marine colonel who was unable to conclusively determine if a US Marine was shot intentionally by a Syrian Democratic Forces guard, or if he was shot as the result of a negligent discharge," the release said. "The investigation also determined that a second Marine on the scene, believing himself to be in imminent danger, acted appropriately and proportionally to the threat he perceived."
In addition, the second Marine's "life-saving response to a fellow Marine's injuries," led the lead investigator to recommend that the second Marine be commended for his actions, the release said.
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The report identified Sergeant Cameron Halkovich as the Marine who was shot and Corporal Kane Downey as the Marine who returned fire.
