Fifth Military Victim in Chattanooga Shootings Has Died

The Naval officer died early Saturday, authorities said

Photo: U.S. Naval Institute

A fifth service member has died from injuries sustained in the Chattanooga, Tennessee, military facility shootings earlier this week, the U.S. Navy said in a statement Saturday.

The Navy declined to identify the victim except as a Navy Petty Officer, saying his name will be released after next of kin has been notified. However, the victim’s grandmother identified him to CBS Radio as Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Randall Smith. Other family members have also publicly confirmed the victim’s identity.

He died at 2:17 a.m. Saturday, according to the Navy’s statement.

The official death toll from those Thursday shootings now stands at six: five victims and the accused gunman.

Four marines – Gunnery Sgt. Thomas Sullivan, Lance Cpl. Squire K. Wells, Staff Sgt. David A. Wyatt and Sgt. Carson A. Holmquist – were killed and three others were injured in the shootings. Among the dead were decorated veterans of the wars in the Middle East.

Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez, who authorities have accused as the shooter, also died.

“We are treating this as an act of domestic terrorism,” U.S. Attorney Bill Killian said Thursday.

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