A retired service member found dead at Fort Meade on Wednesday morning is suspected of killing his 34-year-old son in their Odenton apartment, according to the Anne Arundel County Police Department.
Army officials from the fort released a bulletin Wednesday notifying the media of the on-site death, while the county department announced it was considering the deaths a murder-suicide.
On Thursday, police revealed the names of the two people killed: son Steven Michael Nabakowski and father Jack Michael Nabakowski, 64. Detectives are still investigating a motive, police said.
At approximately 9:40 a.m., the Directorate of Emergency Services responded to the parking lot of the Army and Air Force Exchange Services — a general store for Department of Defense ID holders — where they found Jack Nabakowski dead.
The store is located on the base and requires a retired ID card for non-active military members to enter, said Shaun Herron, a Fort Meade spokesperson. Details on Nabakowski’s military career and connection to the fort, other than his status as a retired service member, were not made available.
A note near his body led police to an apartment complex in the 500 block of Retreat Court, where they found his son suffering from a gunshot wound. Pronounced dead at the scene, detectives are still trying to determine when the son was killed and a timeline of events, Limansky said.
Steven Nabakowski became the 12th homicide victim investigated by Anne Arundel police this year and the second this week. On Monday, Forrest Allen Ryan, 38, of Chester, was found dead in his Porsche SUV after crashing into a tree in Arnold. He had a gunshot wound in his chest and his death is being investigated as a homicide, county police said.
While the Fort Meade Criminal Investigation Division is looking into Jack Nabakowski’s death, Anne Arundel homicide detectives ask that anyone with information related to the son call 410-222-4731. Anonymous tips can be left at the TipLine, as well, by calling 410-222-4700.
With more than 64,000 employees, Fort Meade is the Army’s second-largest base by population and acts as the seat for the Department of Defense’s intelligence, information, and cyber operations.
The two deaths Wednesday highlight trends within the armed forces that the Department of Defense continues to try and address.
According to the department’s 2021 report on military suicides — its most recent edition — suicide rates among active members have gradually increased since 2011, remaining similar to trends throughout the country.
If you or someone you know is considering harming themselves, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. Additional mental health resources are available online.
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