Local soldier promoted posthumously after skydiving death

A Lakota West graduate has received a posthumous promotion after his performance with the Army Golden Knights parachute team Saturday in Chicago ended in tragedy.

The promotion of Sgt. 1st Class Corey Hood to Master Sargent was announced Wednesday in a video on the parachute team's Facebook page. Lt. Col. Matthew Weinrich, commander of the Golden Knights, said in the video that Hood was promoted for his demonstrated leadership abilities and his tactical and technical expertise.

"Throughout his career, Corey dreamed of becoming a Golden Knight. Two years ago he made that dream come true," Weinrich said in the video, which was viewed more than 21,000 times within three hours of being posted. The promotion officially occurred Monday.

"He loved connecting the American people with their Army. He loved meeting with the people after each jump and sharing his soldier story," Weinrich said. "Corey's story was extraordinary because Corey was an extraordinary soldier."

The United States Army has launched an investigation into Hood's death and has issued a safety stand down for the Golden Knights parachute team.

All upcoming performances from the Golden Knights are suspended "to take time to reflect and look at operations," said Army spokeswoman Allison Bettencourt.

Hood, 32, was performing a stunt known as a "bomb burst" with the Army Golden Knights parachute team and Navy Leap Frog parachutists on Saturday at the Chicago Air and Water show, Golden Knights spokesperson Donna Dixon told WMAQ-TV. During this stunt, parachutists fall with red smoke trailing from packs and then separate.

"During the maneuver, a member of the Golden Knights collided with a member from the Navy Leap Frogs," Bettencourt said.

Hood was knocked unconscious and suffered critical injuries in an "uncontrolled landing" outside of the designated landing area, Bettencourt said.

Hood succumbed to his injuries Sunday at 4 p.m. at the Northwestern Hospital, the Cook County medical examiner confirmed to the Associated Press.

Dixon told the Chicago Tribune Hood had surgery to relieve pressure in his brain caused by a head injury. The second man injured, a member of the Navy Leap Frogs, was treated for a broken leg, Dixon told the Associated Press.

Witnesses said at least one of the two men injured on Saturday clipped the top of a high-rise apartment building before falling to the ground in the city's Gold Coast neighborhood.

The Army is investigating the incident and reviewing all safety procedures. Investigators are examining how the team prepared for the jump, how it was executed and if protocols need to be changed, Bettencourt said.

"There is an inherent risk in all Army operations," Bettencourt said. "The team is professional and well-trained and, unfortunately, accidents do happen but rarely."

The most recent previous fatal accident involving the Golden Knights occurred in 2002. The pilot of the Army aircraft was killed in a collision with a civilian aircraft, Brettencourt said.

Hood graduated from Lakota West High School in 2001, where he played football and wrestled, Principal Elgin Card said. The school had a moment of silence for Hood on Monday and placed a memorial in front of the building.

"I want our student body to understand how proud we are of him," Card said. 'Corey was a true Lakota West and American hero."

Hood served five tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to his Army biography.

He began a basic airborne course immediately after his basic and advanced training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Most recently, he served as a demonstration parachutist for the Golden Knights' Black Demonstration Team.

According to his Army biography, Hood had been jumping since 2010 and has logged more than 500 free fall jumps and 75 military static line jumps. He had been awarded with two Bronze Stars, two Meritorious Service Medals, five Army commendation medals, five Army achievement medals, a master parachutist badge, a pathfinder badge, an air assault badge and the combat action badge.

After joining the Golden Knights in 2013, Hood served as ground safety officer until October 2014 when he was officially selected as a demonstration parachutist.

The other members of the Golden Knights returned to their base at Fort Bragg in North Carolina as part of a "safety stand down" after Hood's death.

Witnesses at the scene of Saturday's accident told the Chicago Tribune that one of the parachutists hit a building in the upscale lakefront district, but the reports had not been confirmed by fire officials.

Heather Mendenhall told The Tribune she was watching the show from a rooftop and saw one of the men hit the roof next door with his feet and fall, with his parachute trailing behind him.

"His legs caught the tip of the roof, and then he fell over. It was horrible," she told the newspaper.

She said he looked unconscious as he hit the roof. A maintenance worker on the same roof called paramedics, she said.

"If he was only one foot closer to the roof, the maintenance guy could've grabbed him," Mendenhall said.

The other parachutist was found on North Avenue Beach, near the main viewing area for the show, the AP reported.

Chicago's annual two-day air show draws millions of people to the city each year.

Members of the Navy team are active-duty personnel drawn from forces including the Navy SEALs. Specialists such as the Army and Navy jumpers can reach speeds of up to 180 mph during free fall by pulling their arms to their sides. They typically open their parachutes at around 5,000 feet, joining their canopies together in formation and setting off smoke grenades to send red smoke trailing behind them.

The Associated Press contributed.