( CNN ) -- A sailor found dead earlier this week at California 's Camp Pendleton was shot while standing sentry , and a fire was set in an attempt to cover up evidence , the U.S. Navy said . Seaman August Provost , shown on his MySpace page , was killed while on sentry duty at Camp Pendleton . The death of Seaman August Provost of Houston , Texas , is being investigated as a homicide , Capt . Matt Brown told reporters on Thursday . A sailor is in custody in the case , Brown said . Although at least one of Provost 's relatives said she believes he was killed because of his sexual orientation and his race , Brown said there was no indication the killing was a hate crime . A U.S. congressman also said on Friday there are indications Provost may have been killed because of his sexual orientation . Provost was killed while he was standing guard as a sentry for the Assault Craft Unit 5 compound at Camp Pendleton , Brown said . He had begun the shift at 11:30 p.m. Tuesday , and his body was discovered by his replacement around 3:30 a.m. Wednesday . `` Preliminarily , it appears that Seaman Provost suffered gunshot wounds and it appears that someone attempted to destroy evidence by lighting a fire at Seaman Provost 's assigned place of duty , '' Brown said . Provost 's aunt , Rose Roy , of Beaumont , Texas , said by telephone on Friday that her nephew had told her he was being harassed because of his sexual orientation and because he was African-American . She described him as bisexual . `` He mentioned it to me and a couple other family members , '' she said of the harassment , and said he had first told her about it sometime last year . `` He was frustrated by it , '' she said . She said she had advised him to speak to someone of higher rank , but said she was n't sure if he had done so . `` He went to serve and protect , but he did n't get the protection , '' she said . Brown said Thursday that he had no information on claims of harassment . Asked whether she believed her nephew was killed because of race and sexual orientation , she said , `` In my heart , I do . '' She added , `` it was like an execution-style killing , and nobody does that unless you have that kind of hatred in your heart . '' The Navy has one sailor in custody who `` has been linked to the commission of this crime through both physical evidence and his own statement , '' Brown said . Watch Brown talk about the killing as a random act » . He did not identify the sailor , who has not been charged with wrongdoing . It is unclear if the sailor served with Provost in the same unit . A second sailor whom authorities initially questioned has since been released , Brown said . He said the Navy has no indication that Provost 's death is a hate crime , although he emphasized the investigation is ongoing . `` What I can tell you , unequivocally at this point , based on the preliminary information that we have , is that regardless of the person standing watch in that sentry station , this crime would have most likely been carried out in the same way , '' he said . `` In other words , another sailor could have been on that post and would have been the victim of this crime . '' Rep. Bob Filner , a California Democrat , has called for a full and transparent investigation . Asked Friday if Provost was killed because of his sexual orientation , he said , `` There are indications that that 's the case . His family says he was harassed . '' Filner said he was on Camp Pendleton hours after Provost 's body was found , although no one told him of the killing . `` When I was on the base for another event , the commander of the base was sitting next to me and never mentioned a word , which I find very strange , '' he said . He said he was asking for the `` truth of what happened . '' `` We 're going to ask , if I may coin a phrase , and we hope that they tell , '' he said . Roy said her nephew was `` a good kid , '' who did n't have a `` bad bone in his body '' and had loved the Navy . He joined the service in March 2008 , according to Brown . `` He was a people person , '' Roy said . `` If he could give you the shirt off his back , he would . '' A funeral has been planned for July 10 in Houston , she said . `` We loved him dearly , '' she said .
Fire was set to cover up evidence , U.S. Navy says . Seaman August Provost 's death being investigated as homicide . Congressman calls for investigation of possible hate crime . Body was discovered at 3:30 a.m. , during Provost 's shift on sentry duty .