Suicide bomber kills Fredonia soldier

FREDONIA, N.Y. (WIVB) - A Fredonia man who served his country first in the Navy for six years, and then returned to duty in the U.S. Army, has been killed by a suicide bomber in Afghanistan.

Family members tell News 4 28-year-old Army Sergeant Jonathan Gollnitz was devoted to his 4-year-old son and service to his country.

His grandma, Minnie Gollnitz, said, "Guarding the Army headquarters and a suicide bomber comes by and I guess he got blown up."

Gollnitz had previously served in Iraq and had only been in Afghanistan for the past two to three months.

His aunt, Laurie Eimers, said, "Johnny was such a wonderful young man. He loved the Lord and he was so faithful to the service, he loved the service. And he loved his little boy, Lucas."

Fredonia schools were notified of his death on Wednesday, and teachers remembered him as a personable young man who always had a smile on his face. Students held a moment of silence Thursday morning in Gollnitz' honor.

Fredonia High Principal Todd Crandall said, "And they all talked about his character. That he was a positive influence throughout the building on a daily basis."

Minnie says she is so grateful the whole family was able to keep in touch with her grandson on Facebook. And she will never forget a conversation they had recently about dangerous conditions in Afghanistan.

"When he was telling me he was getting scared over there, it wasn't because he was a baby, but he was scared because of the conditions over there and he would say, 'Grandma, if anything happens, I'll be in heaven with grandpa,'" Minnie said.

The parents of Sergeant Gollnitz are in Dover, Delaware, where his body will be returned to this country. Funeral arrangements are still being worked out.