Parris Island recruit’s funeral today in Michigan

Funeral services for Marine recruit Raheel Siddiqui will take place in Michigan.

Detroit’s Rahman Funeral home is directing the services, according to Marine spokesman Capt. Greg Carroll. A spokesperson for the funeral home confirmed that it was directing the funeral but, at the family’s request, could not provide further information.

“Our most sincere and deepest condolences continue to be with the Siddiqui family and friends during this difficult time,” Carroll wrote in an email Friday morning.

Siddiqui, 20, of Taylor, Mich., arrived at Parris Island on March 7 and died 11 days later. His family told Detroit’s WDIV-Channel 4 that a casualty report they’d received from the Marine Corps stated Siddiqui passed out during a drill and when awakened by a drill instructor, got up and “ran out the back hatch of the squad bay and jumped over the ladderwell wall ... falling 3 stories before landing on the ground.”

His death is currently being investigated by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service’s Parris Island office and local military authorities, a process that could require about three weeks, according to Carroll.

Siddiqui’s body arrived by airplane at about 5 p.m. on Thursday, according to Greta Ibarra-Leonard, a friend of Siddiqui’s. Ibarra-Leonard shared a photo of a flag-draped coffin escorted by several men wearing what appear to be Marine Corps dress uniforms.

The photo, which Ibarra-Leonard said she received from Siddiqui’s sister, shows the coffin being removed from the airplane.

Carroll confirmed the flight landed at 4:53 p.m.

“The Michigan State Police provided police escort for the family from the airport, “ Carroll said.

A post on the Facebook page of Raheel Siddiqui shows the same photo, which is timestamped 5:25 p.m. Thursday. Accompanying the post is a caption: “My brother ... Raheel is now in Michigan. Finally.”

Ibarra-Leonard, 34, worked with Siddiqui at Home Depot and refers to him as “little brother.” She was at his going-away party Feb. 27 at Taylor Lanes bowling alley and saw her friend for the last time on the night of March 5.

She exchanged text messages with Siddiqui on March 6, the day before he arrived on Parris Island. He messaged her to confirm her mailing address, so he could write.

“Leaving my family and all of you guys, especially you, is the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” Ibarra-Leonard said Wednesday, as she read the final text messages she received from her friend.

The message, part of which is visible on Ibarra-Leonard’s Facebook page, continues: “I will come back as a Marine and will not quit no matter how hard it is because I can’t let my family and you guys down.”

This story was originally published March 25, 2016 at 10:18 AM with the headline "Parris Island recruit’s funeral today in Michigan."