U.S. soldier shot dead at Fort Bragg Army base, two wounded

(Reuters) - A U.S. soldier killed a member of his unit during a safety briefing at Fort Bragg in North Carolina on Thursday, then shot and wounded himself, the Army base said in a statement.

The injured gunman was taken into custody, and Fort Bragg military police secured the scene within minutes, a base spokesman said. A third soldier was slightly injured by the gunfire.

None of the soldiers was immediately identified.

Agents from the Army's criminal investigation command were investigating the shooting, said Tom McCollum, a Fort Bragg spokesman. He said the soldiers involved were getting a standard safety briefing before going on leave for a four-day holiday weekend.

"We don't yet know the reasons for the shooting, but are working with the unit and the affected families to help them through this difficult period," another base spokesman, Colonel Kevin Arata, said in a statement.

(Reporting by Greg McCune and Chris Francescani; Editing by Steve Gorman and Stacey Joyce)