A picture of the four marines who were killed in a shooting in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on Thursday began to emerge, as the men were identified by friends and family.
The men were shot dead at a navy operational support center and a marine corps reserve center. Three others were injured; the suspected gunman, Mohammad Youssef Abdulazeez, was killed, though the circumstances of his death were not immediately released. Officials were investigating the motive behind the attack.
In Springfield, Massachusetts, members mourned the death of Thomas Sullivan, a gunnery sergeant in the marine corps who served two tours in Iraq and had received two Purple Hearts. He is survived by two siblings and his parents, Jerry and Betty.
Sullivan’s brother Joe, a bartender, told local newspaper the Republican he was hoping Springfield residents would fly American flags at half mast in honor of his brother.
The bar Joe works at, Nathan Bill’s Bar & Restaurant, posted a tribute on Facebook.
“Anyone who went to Holy Cross School, Cathedral High School or grew up in the East Forest Park knew who Tommy was,” the message said. “He was our hero and he will never be forgotten.”
In a statement, Springfield mayor Domenic Sarno confirmed that Sullivan had died.
“This is a tragic loss not just for the Springfield community but for our entire nation,” Sarno said.
Chattanooga resident David Wyatt was also killed. His wife, Lorri Wyatt, posted photos of him and their children on Facebook. Messages of sympathy overwhelmed her page.
Wyatt, a staff sergeant, was originally from Burke, North Carolina and served two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan.
Lance corporal Skip Wells, 21, also died in the attack, according to family spokesman Andy Kingrey. Kingrey told WSBTV that Wells had been a student at Georgia State University before he “felt a calling to serve in the marines”.
CNN spoke to Wells’s mother, Cathy Wells, who said: “My son died doing what he loved for the love of his country and his family.”
The fourth victim was named by a friend on Facebook as sergeant Carson Holmquist, 27, from Polk, Wisconsin. The marine corps confirmed that he was one of the dead and had served two tours in Afghanistan.
Major Paul L Greenberg said the Marine Corps reserve centers would remain open. “The incident has not changed the Marine Corps’ resolve to maintain a presence in our communities,” he said.
The commandant of the marine corps, General Joseph Dunford, offered his condolences in a statement.
“Please keep our fallen marines in Tennessee and their families in your thoughts and prayers,” Dunford said. “Also pray for a speedy recovery of those wounded and affected by this tragedy.
“Our focus remains on supporting the families of our marines.”
