Here are the 5 military personnel who died in the Chattanooga shooting

Navy Petty Officer Randall Scott Smith, 26, of Paulding, Ohio, joined the Navy in 2010 and served as a logistics specialist. He died surrounded by family members two days after the shooting.

“It's hard to understand how somebody can hurt somebody that is serving for you, for your freedom, for your safety,” Smith's mother, Paula Proxmire, told News Channel 15 in Fort Wayne, Ind., after her son was shot.

Darlene Proxmire, Smith's step-grandmother, described him as a standout baseball player who received a scholarship to play in college. He had not been deployed oversees, she said. Family members said he was married with three daughters.

“He was a very good young man,” she said. “He loved the Navy.”

Tania Daugherty, Smith's second cousin, said he lived in Ohio before entering the service, and was transferred to Chattanooga recently after reenlisting.

In an interview with the local TV station, Darlene Proxmire noted that such attacks could happen anywhere.

“You think, 'Oh, that's not gonna happen' to your family — but by God, it can,” she said.

In a statement made on Twitter, Ohio's Gov. John Kasich, a Republican, offered his condolences. “Ohio has lost another hero,” he said.

According to the Navy, Smith was a surface warfare specialist, and had received the Navy “E” Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal and Pistol Marksmanship Ribbon.

Sgt. Carson A. Holmquist, 25, joined the Marine Corps in 2009. He served in the Mike Battery, 3rd Battalion, 14th Marine Regiment in Tennessee and had been on two tours during 2013 and 2014 as part of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.

He specialized in automotive maintenance and had received multiple awards from the Marine Corps, including the Navy Marine Corps Achievement Medal, a Good Conduct Medal, a Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, an Afghanistan Campaign Medal and a Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.

On Facebook, Tyler Larsen, a friend, mourned his death.

“RIP Carson Holmquist,” he wrote. “I was looking forward to grabbing drinks when you got out here.”

Instead, Larsen said that he would have a drink in Holmquist's honor.

Holmquist was seen in dozens of photos surrounded by family and friends. His family has requested privacy.

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For the Record

July 18, 2015, 6:30 p.m.: An earlier version of this report incorrectly said Holmquist served in Iraq. He served in Afghanistan.

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--Natalie Schachar

Staff Sgt. David A. Wyatt, 35, originally from Arkansas, joined the Marine Corps in 2004 in Burke, N.C. He was on active duty as part of the Mike Battery, 3rd Battalion, 14th Marine Regiment in Tennessee. Wyatt, who specialized in field artillery, had served three tours of duty, one in Afghanistan and two in Iraq.

Wyatt's father, Allen Wyatt, praised his son as a good husband and father of two who enjoyed coaching his daughter's soccer team. In his youth, Wyatt had earned the rank of Eagle Scout and had hiked the trails of the Philmont Scout reservation. Both father and son ran the Marine Corps marathon together. Wyatt attended the University of Montana in Missoula, his father said.

On Facebook, Wyatt's wife, Lorri, posted a picture of her husband, in uniform, with their two children. Mourners posted their condolences. “He was such a great husband and father,” read one Facebook post. “I'm so so sorry for you Lorri, I am ALWAYS here for you.”

On Thursday, many of Wyatt's fellow Marines had changed their Facebook profiles to a picture of a black service ribbon imposed on the Marine Corps seal.

--Natalie Schachar

Lance Cpl. Squire K. Wells, 21, a native of Georgia, joined the Marine Corps on Feb. 10, 2014, following in the footsteps of other family members with military backgrounds. Wells was on active duty as part of the Mike Battery, 3rd Battalion, 14th Marine Regiment in Tennessee and served as a field artillery cannoneer.

Known by family and friends as Skip, he attended Sprayberry High School and Georgia Southern University, school officials confirmed. He had planned on studying history in college, but left before receiving his degree in order to enlist, according to Andy Kingery, a family friend.

“I think he felt he was destined to be a Marine all along,” Kingery said.

In a statement, the university mourned his death.

“The entire Georgia Southern University community is saddened by the news that former student and Marine, Skip Wells, was killed yesterday in the Chattanooga tragedy along with three fellow Marines,” officials said.

Kingery said that Skip was awaiting deployment. Thursday was his first day of a voluntary two-week assignment at the U.S. Naval Reserve on Amnicola Highway.

“He was an outgoing kid, the kind of kid that you’d wanna hang around,” said Kingery. “He was very enthusiastic about everything he did.”

Friends described Wells as upbeat and patriotic, and said that he was active in Georgia Southern University’s Humans vs. Zombies group, which is a tag-like game played with socks and dart-blasters. “He was a great person and great American,” said Alex Morris, who attends Georgia Southern University.

Kingery also said that Wells had been in his high school marching band and the ROTC before joining the Marines. He was an only child, and a devoted son and grandson who always looked for opportunities to help, Kingery said.

-- Christine Mai-Duc and Natalie Schachar

Gunnery Sgt. Thomas Sullivan, 40, a native of Springfield, Mass., served in the Marines for almost two decades. He was a member of the Mike Battery, 3rd Battalion, 14th Marine Regiment in Tennessee, specializing as a field artillery cannoneer. He was deployed twice to Iraq and also served in the Western Pacific, a Navy statement said.

A post on the Facebook page of a local restaurant, owned by Sullivan’s brother, Joseph, mourned his death.

“Rest in Peace Gunnery Sgt. Thomas Sullivan,” it read. “He was our hero and he will never be forgotten…Thank you Tommy for protecting us.”

Jim Leydon, a Springfield city spokesman, said the Sullivan family is active in the community and often held fundraisers for local schools and other causes. “They've really become ingrained in the city of Springfield,” Leydon said. Leydon said flags at city hall have been lowered to half-staff to honor Sullivan.

In a statement, Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno offered his condolences. “This is a tragic loss not just for the Springfield community but for our entire nation. Sergeant Sullivan dedicated his life in brave service to his country and to see it end under such tragic circumstances is heart breaking.”

Sullivan was the recipient of two Purple Hearts, and a Combat Action Ribbon. He had also received the Korean Defense Service Medal, a Navy Marine Corps Achievement Medal, and two Iraq Campaign Medals.

-- Christine Mai-Duc and Natalie Schachar