Army: Chen, Chinatown GI Killed in Afghanistan, Was Abused by Comrades

Army officials finally conceded that Private Danny Chen, a 19-year-old Chinese-American, was subject to repeated cases of abuse by fellow service members.

Chen, who was born and raised in New York City, was shot after being assaulted by at least eight other troop members in Kandahar, Afghanistan, in early October. It is not yet clear whether Chen committed suicide or was killed. So far, eight men have been charged with involuntary manslaughter and negligent homicide, assault, battery and reckless endangerment.

After a meeting between family members and army officials on Wednesday, information was released which showed that Chen had been abused and superiors had failed to report the incidents.

According to the report, Chen was forced to crawl with sandbags on his back and had to duck to avoid rocks thrown at him that were supposed to resemble artillery fire. He also had to endure racial slurs because of his status as a Chinese-American.

As a result of Chen's death, local lawmakers are calling on the Pentagon for stricter anti-hazing regulations and for greater diversity training.