CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. -- Robert Gooch, the Chesterfield father shot and killed at a Wawa gas station Tuesday night, was an officer in the U.S. Army.
"He's a war hero," neighbor Faizan Habib said. "He had a few deployment overseas."
The 34-year-old father of three served multiple tours in Afghanistan where he worked logistics in the medical field as an officer in the U.S. Army Reserve.
Members of his unit called Gooch very dedicated to the job and said he always went above and beyond to help junior soldiers.
That helpfulness was a trait he also displayed at home.
"He was the first one to say 'Hey, let me help you out. What do you need?'" Habib said. "Robert was a fantastic guy. Very helpful, very loving to his kids."
Gooch's eldest daughter was with him Tuesday night when a gunman fired shots outside the Wawa gas station on Otterdale Station Way in Chesterfield.
Gooch was hit and later died at the hospital.
George Thomas Buschmann was arrested Wednesday morning and charged with murder.
While police are still working to determine a motive behind the shooting, it was believed Buschmann and Gooch did not know each other.
"He was always about making sure everyone was safe," Habib said about his deceased neighbor. "He always had a smile on his face. We're praying for his family."
