Tragedy in Baltimore

It's probably fair to say that most troops in Afghanistan and Iraq have at least thought about the possibility of being killed in combat. But few probably expect to lose their lives while home on leave.

Tragically, that awful scenario played out in Baltimore over the weekend, as reported by The Baltimore Sun. Police said Pvt. Clifford Jamar Williams, who deployed to Afghanistan in April and was home for 15 days to spend Christmas with his family, was shot dead in front of wife as they left a store. His wife was not injured. The more you read about the story in The Sun, the more senseless it gets.

It was not clear what, if anything, provoked the shooting, and police were working to determine the precise location of the crime scene, made difficult by the heavy snow accumulation.

Williams was to have turned 23 years old on Dec. 26, and his deployment would have ended in April.

"He had a clean criminal record, and there is no evidence at this point to suggest that he was involved in any nefarious activity," Guglielmi said.

Let's hope the police catch whoever did this -- and fast.