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Who was Pete Reed? Marine vet from New Jersey killed by Russian shelling while volunteering in Ukraine

'He was evacuating citizens and responding to those wounded when his ambulance was shelled,' Pete Reed's wife Alex Kay Potter said

BAKHMUT, UKRAINE: Celebrated humanitarian worker and a former member of US Marine Corps Pete Reed died in Bakhmut, Ukraine. The 34-year-old veteran was serving as a medical volunteer when he was allegedly killed by Russian shelling on Thursday, February 2. As per initial reports, his vehicle was hit by a missile on the eastern side of the country. A graphic video showing the aftermath of the attack was shared by Kyiv Independent, with the caption, “Russian shelling hits 3 cars with volunteers in Bakhmut. The Volunteer Home fund published a video of the aftermath of the Russian shelling in Bakhmut on Tuesday, February 2, that hit three cars with volunteers and injured around 5 people.”

The news of Reed’s death was confirmed by his family and two medical air groups he was working with. In 2017, he founded the nonprofit organisation - Global Response Medicine 2017. The organization released a statement, "Pete was the bedrock of GRM, serving as the board president for 4 years. In January, Pete stepped away from GRM to work with Global Outreach Doctors on their Ukraine mission and was killed while rendering aid." Reed’s wife, Alex Kay Potter, in a Facebook post, revealed the circumstances in which the veteran died, "He was evacuating citizens and responding to those wounded when his ambulance was shelled."

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Who was Pete Reed?

Pete Reed was an American medic and US Marine Corps veteran who had been serving as a volunteer in the war-torn Ukraine. The 34-year-old joined Global Outreach Doctors in January as a humanitarian. According to Andrew Lustig, GoDoc’s CEO, a non-profit volunteer organization, Reed arrived in Ukraine in the second week of January. He comes from Bordentown, New Jersey, and served two tours in Helmand, Afghanistan, during his Marine Corps days. Reed, after leaving the service, worked as a ski instructor in Wyoming, as per The Guardian

'He was a true hero'

People mourned the death of a hero and expressed their emotions on social media platforms, one tweeted, "He was a true hero, I hope you guys can continue his legacy." The second wrote, "I didn't know Pete or what he did, but I've no doubt that many are alive today because of Pete. Devoting ones life to saving others is a life not wasted. Rest in Peace Pete." A third offered condolences to his family, "Gosh, am so sorry. #RIPPeteReedHERO Sincerest Condolences for Mr Reed’s family, abs his colleagues at GRM. #SlavaUkrainii" "I think I met Pete and his girlfriend in Mosul in 2017 when they stopped by our frontline hospital for a short visit. Lovely, extremely dedicated man and a true humanitarian putting others before himself. Rest in peace," one gave a personal encounter. 

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