Patrick Casey Death: Army Veteran, GWU Grad Student Dies After Injuries From M Street Fight

WASHINGTON -- A veteran of the Afghanistan conflict who recently started graduate studies at George Washington University died Tuesday from injuries sustained in an altercation on M Street NW outside a McDonald's last week. Patrick Casey, a 33-year-old student in GWU's international relations program had tried to mediate a fight, The Washington Post reports:

Three people who they didn’t know were harassing people inside a fast-food restaurant and “turned their attention” to Casey and his female friend, [mother] Gail Casey said. Outside the restaurant, the woman was pushed. Casey, 6-foot-4 and 280 pounds, tried to defuse the situation by standing in between the two groups.

But Casey, originally from upstate New York, was hit, fell back and hit his head. Police are reviewing surveillance footage to identify potential witnesses. The Hatchet reports that security footage from inside the McDonald's "likely caught most of the altercation on tape." Police reports indicate three suspects involved in the fight fled the scene.

According to WJLA-TV, details on the suspects are limited: "The first suspect is described as wearing a yellow shirt and blue pants, the second one is described as a white person wearing a gray shirt and blue pants, and the third suspect is also described as white."

George Washington University Graduate Student, Patrick Casey, Dies From Injuries After Assault: MyFoxDC.com