Steve Nikoui had been glued to TV reports on Thursday, desperate for hints his son, Lance Corporal Kareem Nikoui, survived the deadly airport suicide bombing in Afghanistan when three Marines arrived at his door with the worst news possible.
The 20-year-old Marine, who the previous day had sent home a video of himself giving candy to Afghan children, was among 13 U.S. service members killed in the bombing. Others included an expectant father from Wyoming, the son of a California police officer and a medic from Ohio.
Islamic State militants claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing, carried out during a massive evacuation of U.S. and other foreign nationals as well as some Afghan civilians following the Taliban takeover. "He wanted to be a marine his whole life and carried around his rifle in his diapers and cowboy boots," his sister wrote, adding that he wanted to be a history teacher and a wrestling coach upon leaving the military.
Regi Stone, whose son Eli enlisted around the same time as McCollum, described him as "smart, strong and courageous" and said he drew comfort when the two hung out together. The explosion also took the life of Staff Sergeant Taylor Hoover from Utah, according to a Facebook post by his aunt, Brittany Jones Barnett. She and other relatives described him on social media as brave and kind.
"He was not the type that liked to just sit around and get his four years done and walk away," Mark Schmitz told KMOX. "He wanted to be in a situation where he actually made a difference."
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