Staff Reports
A Navy Petty Officer wounded in the shooting at the Navy Operational Support Center in Chattanooga, Tennessee, has passed away, making him the fifth service member killed in Thursday’s attack.
The official statement from the U.S. Navy states:
“A male Navy Petty Officer succumbed to wounds received in the July 16 shooting at the Navy Operational Support Center (NOSC) in Chattanooga, Tennessee July 18 at 2:17 a.m.
In total, four U.S. Marines and one Sailor were killed in the incident. His name will not be released until 24 hours after the next of kin process is completed.”
Though his name has not been officially released, Governor John Kasich identified the sailor as a resident of Paulding County on his official Facebook page:
“The murders in Chattanooga have claimed another victim, and Ohio has lost another hero. My prayers go out for Randall Smith of Paulding County & his family.”
The four Marines killed in Thursday’s attack were identified by the United States Marine Corps as Gunnery Sgt. Thomas J. Sullivan (USMC) of Hampden, Massachusetts; Staff Sgt. David A. Wyatt (USMC) of Burke, North Carolina; Sgt. Carson A. Holmquist (USMC) of Polk, Wisconsin; and Lance Cpl. Squire K. Wells (USMCR) of Cobb, Georgia.
WBNS-10TV reports Wells has an Ohio connection as well, as his father and step-mother live in the Buckeye Lake area.
Ongoing Associated Press coverage of the investigation can be found here.
This article originally appeared on The Pickaway News Journal
