Originally aired April 15, 2016.
A memorial service was held this afternoon for Lieutenant Colonel William A. Schroeder who was killed at Lackland Air Force Base in a murder-suicide last week.
The 39-year-old Schroeder was the 342nd Training Squadron Commander. He was shot and killed by 41-year-old Technical Sergeant Steven D. Bellino, who then killed himself on April 8. More than 200 members of the Special Operation Forces from around the world gathered at the memorial.
"Obviously, it’s a very solemn occasion. The incident is still fresh to everyone, and when you lose somebody like Lieutenant Colonel Schroeder, it just hits everybody in the heart. And it’s just a very difficult time for everybody," says Oscar Balladares, chief of public affairs of the 502nd Air Base Wing.
Schroeder was in the Special Forces, a meteorologist, and served in the Air Force for more than 15 years. Coworkers said his No. 1 priority was his airmen. The Lieutenant Colonel will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in the next few weeks. He is survived by his wife and two children.