Sgt. Tommy Lazzaro should never have met such an end: His family now recalls moments of the generous “fighter” and “guardian” who was “lost too soon.”
The most recent conversation Lexie Lazzaro had with her younger brother, Tommy Lazzaro, revealed that he was excited about what lay ahead.
It was the morning of December 22, and Tommy was simply calling to see how things were: Lexie and their parents were on their way to visit him for Christmas in Destin, Fla., where he was assigned with the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne).
Tommy, 27, a weapons sergeant in the 2nd Battalion of the 7th, had just completed a year of service as a Green Beret at Eglin Air Force Base on the Panhandle, nestled between the surf, sun, and the vast wilderness surrounding the Gulf of Mexico.
“His father, Tom Lazzaro, tells PEOPLE, ‘He truly enjoyed being down there.'” He enjoyed fishing. He cherished the surroundings. He would say to me, ‘Dad, I can’t believe I earn money for doing this.’ I am part of a Green Beret unit. I’m messing around with firearms throughout the entire day. “I’m outside in the rain.” He genuinely adored the work he was engaged in.
For the holidays, Tommy requested that his family visit him; he was heavily involved in preparing for Ranger School. It would provide them an opportunity to spend additional time with his girlfriend, Kaley Lynch. The two had quickly fallen in love, and he was preparing to pop the question.
During their airport layover, Tommy called Lexie and their mother, Lisa — and even weeks afterward, Lexie vividly recalls his sheer excitement for that special day.
“It was his girlfriend’s birthday, so he simply phoned us and spoke to us in this tiny voice he uses only when he’s in an extremely joyful mood, which we referred to as his little sloth voice,” Lexie, 29, explains. He said, ‘I prepared breakfast for Kaley, and we’re doing this and that, I can’t wait for you all to arrive. “We’ll catch up with you all very soon.”
A few hours later, as the Lazzaro family entered their rental condo, the phone rang once more: Lynch, Tommy’s girlfriend, contacted his mother in utter panic.
Tommy’s dad remembers that she “barely spoke.”
To anyone’s knowledge, Tommy was heading toward the group soon after lunch on Dec. 22 when a stray bullet from another individual nearby went through his driver’s side door and hit the femoral artery in his left leg.
He would have passed away nearly right away. He lacked the time to request assistance.
According to public records, it was his friends who discovered him and, with 911 on the line, tried to perform CPR and administer first aid.
Military and sheriff’s officials stated that the shooter was another hunter nearby, rather than a soldier. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, known as FWC, is the primary agency handling the case and reports that the shooter has been cooperative, though their identity will not be disclosed as the investigation is still “very active.”
No individual has been charged with any offense.
“[We] are carrying out a comprehensive and in-depth investigation of all potential factors that might have played a role,” Officer Chris Boley, a spokesman for FWC, informs PEOPLE.
He refused to address other particular inquiries regarding the incident but pointed out, “the evidence gathered thus far suggests it was a tragic hunting accident.”
In just a few hours, the festivity that Tommy’s family had anticipated turned into disbelief and sorrow.
“That entire day seems as if it wasn’t real, you understand?” his sister remarks.
They are now revealing additional aspects of his unknown narrative: the tale of a boy from Colorado and a high school football champion, a college quarterback, a “class clown” and “the friend you turn to when you need to weep,” just as ready to catch a flight to support you as he was to take off his shirt at a wedding.
“He was the type of person who could be knocked down five times but would bounce back without even flinching,” Lexie states.
In January, Tommy’s relatives and friends established the Tommy Lazzaro Foundation “to offer assistance to worthy disadvantaged high school athletes.”
They claim the aim is to assist in offering the skills and training required for others “to realize their dreams.”
“He was the sort of person who could be knocked down five times and get right back up without even flinching,” Lexie remarks.
In January, Tommy’s relatives and companions established the Tommy Lazzaro Foundation “to offer assistance to deserving low-income high school athletes.”
They claim that the objective is to provide the skills and training required for others “to fulfill their aspirations.”
Tommy’s father is certain of the words that will be inscribed on his memorial: “warrior, teammate, fierce competitor, and protector.”
Tommy undoubtedly had other options besides joining the Army: As a 2019 Central Michigan University graduate with a business degree, he could have attended officer training school.
However, “he merely [said to me], “I aspire to be a door kicker.” “This is what I want to pursue, and I’m going to enlist,” says his father, a major who was an Army Ranger himself.
Following college, Tommy, raised near Colorado Springs, relocated to Denver for a sales position. However, amidst the unease and solitude of the COVID-19 pandemic, he discovered a desire for greater purpose and the sense of collaboration that characterized his time in school.
“There’s a moment for being in the corporate realm, and then there’s a moment to pursue activities where I can have an impact,” he stated to a journalist in Colorado in 2020, when his shift in career focus garnered local attention.
Tommy joined the military in August 2020, completed the Army Airborne School, and subsequently attended the special forces qualification course. As a weapons specialist, he enlisted in the 7th at Eglin in January 2024 and was sent to Ecuador to instruct local forces.
“Tom says he enjoyed being a sergeant.” “He was an authentic leader.”
Following Tommy’s passing in December, his family has received numerous stories about his impact on the world: heartfelt accounts from fellow service members who recounted how he inspired them in boot camp; as well as smaller instances, such as when a waitress mentioned to his father after the celebration of life on Dec. 28 in Destin how he had once volunteered to help bus tables during a busy time at his favorite eatery.
They were not surprised by any of this.
Lexie has her own narrative to share: “The world was closed during the pandemic, and my birthday was just around that time, and he understands how much I cherish my birthday,” she expresses. “He swooped down and startled me — and was concealed behind my sofa.”
“He had a huge heart,” Tom states, adding, “He embraced life fully and was the happiest person around, the life of every party.”
Some might even describe him as entertaining to be with. “He had the ability to get me to laugh at anything.” “He was a dancing queen — if you ask anyone, he was a dancing queen,” his sister states. “Existed with his shirt removed.”
Tommy’s family jokes these days that he referred to clothes as a “body prison.”
“Whenever he attended a wedding, he found it impossible to stay in his shirt.” “That was the ongoing joke,” Tom states. It felt strangely appropriate that his friends invoked his spirit when they came together to grieve him in late December.
“I told all the Green Berets, I said, ‘Listen, we will grieve at the memorial, but we will also honor his life.” Therefore, I prefer you all not to be in uniform since I want you to…’ I gestured toward one of them. I stated, ‘You decide. “You make a change on that’ — and they did.” They all took their shirts off and were simply having a great time.
“As a parent, I would say he was somewhat mischievous, you know?” “But you really couldn’t stay angry with him,” Tom remarks about his son. “My wife would tease, ‘just avoid making eye contact,’ since he was quite the charmer.” And throughout his time in school, every one of his teachers expressed, ‘He’s just incredibly likable, you know?’ “He simply seemed larger than life.”
One of the final things that Tommy and Lexie were organizing was a unique surprise for their dad by obtaining him a dog. In January, shortly after her brother passed away, Lexie revealed the present, accompanied by a heartfelt message that said from “Tommy and Lexie.”
On January 31, Tommy’s family, including his parents and sister, went back to Florida for his military memorial, accompanied by his girlfriend, whom the family now considers to be his fiancée.
Approximately 250 individuals were present, representing both the military and local authorities.
His company leader communicated, as did a pair of companions. The chaplain recited from Psalms 23 — “even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will not fear any evil.”
Outside, the bright weather gradually turned darker throughout the day, culminating in the final roll call, the 21-gun salute, the performance of “Taps” and the “Ballad of the Green Berets,” and the benediction. Finally, one by one, each person at the memorial stepped up to honor Tommy, where his boots, rifle, and beret were placed in a spot of reverence.
“From the front pews to the folding chairs at the back, each row stood up and proceeded to pay their respects by saluting and placing a coin or otherwise acknowledging their reverence,” states Maj. Patrick Connelly, a representative for the 7th.
“We will always remember his dedication, bravery, and dedication to protecting our liberties,” Col. Patrick Nelson, the commander of the 7th, stated in a message.
Tommy’s father states that he “cherished serving his country” and was “lost too soon.”
His relatives grieve. And recalls
“I regret not hugging him for a longer time and not expressing my love for him more,” his sister states. “I long to express how proud I am of the man he has become.” “I’m simply amazed by his achievements and how modest he remained.”
“He had these enormous green eyes and this goofy large grin,” Lexie states, “and that’s what I envision when I imagine him and think of him — just this huge silly smile, and his eyes as wide as possible.”
“My wife is a nurse, and she recently noticed that something was off,” Tom, 70, adds. “And she asked, ‘Is my son all right?’” Kaley replied, “No.”
State investigators quickly deemed it a seemingly bizarre accident: Tommy’s girlfriend’s brother, who was an active-duty Green Beret, had been hunting with two friends that day in the vast public land surrounding Eglin — but their truck became stranded. Thus, they requested Tommy, along with his Ford F-250 Super Duty, to assist them.