What happened: Authorities say Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez, 24, of Hixson, Tenn., killed four U.S. Marines and wounded another military member and a police officer in shootings at a military recruitment center and a Navy and Marine reserve center Thursday morning. Wells was one of the Marines killed.

More on Wells: According to his Facebook page, Wells was a 2012 graduate of Sprayberry High School in northeast Cobb County in Atlanta. After high school graudation, he attended Georgia Southern University, where he studied history. He was enrolled as a student "from 2012 through fall of 2013," Georgia Southern said in a statement.

“Felt that he wasn’t called to that and felt a calling to serve — in the Marines,” family spokesman Andy Kingery told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “He got out of boot camp about a year ago and was doing what was asked of him. We don’t understand the whys. Senseless is a word that’s used too often, but this you can hang your hat on it. He understood the risk he was taking by putting on a uniform, and Skip died doing what he chose to do.”

What people said about Wells: "Skip was a wonderful young man," Kingery said. "He was loved by his schoolmates. He was in the band. He was revered nearly at his church. He was a member of the orchestra there."

On Twitter, @hdubbbbb wrote, "RIP Skip Wells, it was a pleasure to have marched beside you in JROTC, and to hear your hilarious chants in the GSU football stands." In another tweet, she wrote: "Today we lost the biggest Georgia Southern fan I knew. RIP Skip Wells. The Eagle Nation loves you."

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In this file photo from October 2024, Atlanta Braves outfielder Jorge Soler and teammates react after losing to the San Diego Padres 5-4 in San Diego. The Braves and Soler, who now plays for the Los Angeles Angels, face a lawsuit by a fan injured at a 2021 World Series game at Truist Park in Atlanta. (Jason Getz/AJC)

Credit: Jason.Getz@ajc.com