A gunshot that killed an 18-year-old soldier Thursday on a rifle range at Fort Benning was self inflicted, a public affairs spokesman said Tuesday.

Pvt. Sammuel M. “Sam” Mercouriou, a native of Middletown, Conn., and a member of the Connecticut National Guard, was assigned to D Company, 1st Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment, 198th Infantry Brigade on post. He sustained a self-inflicted gunshot during basic training and was pronounced dead at 4:18 p.m. at Martin Army Community Hospital, officials said.

No other injuries were reported.

Gary Jones, director of public affairs at Fort Benning, said the rifle range where the shooting occurred was temporarily locked down for an initial investigation and later returned to normal service.

“Any time there is the death of a soldier, they always have law enforcement take a look at it and safety officials take a look at it,” Jones said. “It is just to make sure everything is done right.”

How long the range was shut down wasn’t available but training was suspended for a number of hours, Jones said.

“I believe after they concluded their investigation, concluded the initial information gathering, the range was able to go back and do what it was supposed to do,” Jones said.

Born June 17, 1993 in Middletown, Mercouriou attended schools in East Windsor before moving to Suffield, where he graduated from Suffield High School this year, according to a death notice from Leete Stevens Enfield Chapels and Crematory. Shortly after graduation, he enlisted in the National Guard.

Although Mercouriou had planned to go to college and become an English teacher, his true ambition was becoming a writer. In high school, he took four years of Latin to improve as a writer.

He is survived by his mother, Jody Hunt, of Suffield, Conn., and his father, Savvas Mercouriou of Willimantic, Conn., two sisters, Kelly Munroe of East Windsor, Conn., and Shannon Todaro of Wethersfield, Conn.

His parents couldn’t be reached for comment late Tuesday.