© 2026 ABC News

and we will miss him always. We ask that you respect our privacy as we deal with the tragic and sudden loss.”

The George Gonzalez/Rubert family.

— Pentagon Force Protection Agency (Official) (@PFPAOfficial) August 4, 2021

Tuesday evening Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin expressed his condolences to the family of the slain officer and ordered that flags at the Pentagon be flown at half-staff in his honor.

\"This fallen officer died in the line of duty, helping protect the tens of thousands of people who work in -- and who visit -- the Pentagon on a daily basis,\" Austin said in a statement.

\"He and his fellow officers are members of the Pentagon family, and known to us all as professional, skilled and brave,\" he said. \"This tragic death today is a stark reminder of the dangers they face and the sacrifices they make. We are forever grateful for that service and the courage with which it is rendered.

\"PHOTO:
Cobb County Sheriffs Office via AP
PHOTO: This April 2021 image provided by the Cobb County Sheriff's Office shows a booking photo of Austin William Lanz.
>

Lanz enlisted in the Marine Corps on Oct. 9, 2012 but was administratively separated on Nov. 2, 2012 and never earned the title Marine, according to the Marine Corps.

He was arrested in Cobb County, Georgia, in April on several charges -- including aggravated battery against police, rioting in a penal institution and making terrorist threats or acts, according to county online court records. The judge in that case ordered Lanz have a mental health and substance abuse evaluation and he was released on a $30,000 bond.

The FBI Atlanta office is also conducting an investigation into Lanz, law enforcement sources told ABC News on Tuesday.

ABC News' Cindy Smith and Lauren King contributed to this report.

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