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One Of Final Photos Of Army Parachutist Shows Exuberance Before Fatal Jump

CHICAGO (CBS) -- As officials conduct an investigation into the death of an Army parachutist during a jump at the Chicago Air & Water Show, some photos taken that day have shown the smiling young man in the moments before his final skydive.

Army Sgt. First Class Corey Hood, 32, of Cincinnati, had performed more than 500 freefall jumps before Saturday, when the Army Golden Knights were performing with the Navy Leap Frogs high above Lake Michigan.

Bart Shore has been a traffic reporter for WBBM Newsradio for 15 years. He got to fly with the Golden Knights and Leap Frogs as they prepared to wow the crowds along the lakefront the first day of the Air Show. Shore was in the plane, and took several photos of Hood and the other parachutists as the airplane climbed to 13,500 feet.

Corey Hood Preparing To Jump 1
U.S. Army Sgt. First Class Corey Hood prepares to jump with his fellow Army Golden Knights parachutists and the Navy Leap Frogs parachute team at the Chicago Air & Water Show on Aug. 15, 2015. Hood collided with a Leap Frog parachutist in mid-air, and then hit a high-rise building while unconscious, and died the next day. (Credit: Bart Shore)

"They were all just great guys. Every one was a super guy. They were friendly. They were accommodating," Shore said.

Once they reached the proper jumping altitude, the Golden Knights and Leap Frogs were gone.

"They all jumped out. There was, like 20 guys. All of a sudden, they're in the plane, then they're not in the plane," Shore said.

Corey Hood Diving
U.S. Army Sgt. First Class Corey Hood (left) dives with other members of the Army Golden Knights and the Navy Leap Frogs parachute teams on Aug. 15, 2015. Hood collided with a Leap Frog parachutist in mid-air, and then hit a high-rise building while unconscious, and died the next day. (Credit: Bart Shore)

Shore captured a photo of Hood as he jumped from the plane with other skydivers.

"Click, click, click, click; and you hope to get a great shot," he said. "Well, there it is."

What Shore didn't know was, while freefalling at more than 100mph, Hood collided with a Navy Leap Frog, and was knocked unconscious. He then slammed into a high-rise on the Gold Coast, and ultimately fell more than 20 stories while unconscious.

Hood was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where doctors performed surgery to relieve pressure on his brain, but Hood died Sunday afternoon.

"It's just devastating to hear about it. I mean, just to have been there with him in his last moments is stunning to me; and the fact that I even got this photograph of him jumping out was just a random shot of the jumpers going," Shore said.

Now Shore's photo of the decorated Army veteran has taken on new meaning in the wake of his untimely death.

"I'm, like, shaking that I got this shot," he said.

Shore said he hopes to send the photos to Hood's family, knowing they capture the exuberance of being a Golden Knight, and clearly show Hood died doing what he loved.

Corey Hood U.S. Army
U.S. Army Sgt. First Class Corey Hood, a member of the Army Golden Knights parachute team. (Credit: U.S. Army)

Hood was in the Army for 14 years, and was awarded two Bronze Stars and two Meritorious Service Medals, having served five tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. He enlisted at age 17, right after graduating high school, and began jumping in 2010, logging more than 500 freefall jumps since then. He is survived by his wife, Lyndsay.

Lakota West High School Principal G. Elgin Card says Hood was, "Just a solid young man, American patriot. Lakota West is saddened and all of Lakota is saddened with his loss."

Jake Parker served with Hood in the Army and says they called him "Hoodie."

"A was jovial person almost all the time," Parker said. "You almost never saw him in a bad mood and he'll be missed."

A spokesperson for the Golden Knights says Hood's body will be escorted back to his home state of Ohio by his wife and a Golden Knights' team leader.

The rest of the Golden Knights team was back at their base in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, on Monday. Some were meeting with counselors to help them cope with their grief. Neither the Golden Knights nor the Leap Frogs performed on Sunday for the second day of the Air Show.

The Navy Leap Frog who collided with Hood – 29-year-old Timothy Holland – suffered a broken leg, and other injuries, but was expected to fully recover. At last check, he was in fair condition at Northwestern.

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