Two Dead in Shooting at Lackland

The Air Force confirmed the names of the two airmen killed in a Friday shooting at JBSA-Lackland, Texas, as Lt. Col. William A. Schroeder, commander of the 342nd Training Squadron, and TSgt. Steven D. Bellino, a 342nd Training Squadron student. Officials with the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office said the shooting appears to have been a murder-suicide. The San Antonio-Express News reported that a senior noncommissioned officer was escorting Bellino to a disciplinary hearing when he opened fire on his commander and then shot himself. The senior NCO was not injured, according to the paper. “I worked closely with Lt. Col. Schroeder, and my wife Vanessa and I knew his family. He was an amazing airman, father, and husband,” said Brig. Gen. Trent Edwards, commander of the 37th Training Wing, in a Facebook post. “Our focus at this time is to take care of Lt. Col. Schroeder’s family, who is here in the local area. He leaves behind a wife and two small children. We will care for and comfort them as best we can. We will also take care of the family members and friends who are grieving the loss of TSgt. Bellino.” The base was locked down around 8:40 a.m. Friday after a 911 call about a possible active shooter at the Medina Training Annex at Lackland, and authorities were on the scene within three minutes of the initial call, Brig. Gen. Bob LaBrutta, commander of 502nd Air Base Wing and Joint Base San Antonio, told reporters in a press conference at the base. The bodies of the two airmen were found in an office on the first floor of Forbes Hall, a large building with classrooms, a theater, and office space, LaBrutta said. Two Glock handguns also were found at the scene, he said. Law enforcement swept the building until just before 10 a.m., when the scene was declared safe and the fire chief took over, said Lt. Col. Robert Ford, commander of the 802nd Security Forces Squadron. The lockdown was lifted at 10:17 a.m. local time, Ford said. FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Rob Saale said they do not believe the shooting was an act of terrorism. Air Force special investigators are leading the investigation with support from the FBI.