Military vet dies after getting COVID-19 didn't wear masks

A military veteran who wrote on social media he didn't want to wear a mask has passed away from complications from COVID-19.

AS SOON AS ANY DECISIONS AREMADE, WE’LL SEND YOU AN ALERTTHROUGH THE FOX 4 NOW APP.AN OTHERWISE HEALTHY 37-YEAR-OLDMILITARY VETERAN HAS DIED OFCORONAVIRUS COMPLICATIONS INOHIO.IT’S NOT JUST HIS AGE AND HEALTHTHAT ARE DRAWING ATTENTION TOHIS PASSING.... IT’S ALSO THATHE POSTED ON FACEBOOK THAT HEREFUSED TO WEAR A MASK.THIS MORNING, KELLY KENNEDYTELLS US... HIS FAMILY ANDFRIENDS WANT TO TURN THEIRTRAGEDY INTO A LESSON FOROTHERS.THOSE WHO KNEW 37-YEAR-OLDRICHARD ROSE DESCRIBE HIM ASKIND, FUNNY AND CARING.HIS FAMILY SAYS HE WAS VERYACTIVE IN HELPING HOMELESS VETSAND IN PREVENTING VETERANSUICIDE.THE PORT CLINTON MAN SERVED INTHE ARMY FOR NINE YEARS AND DIDTWO TOURS IN IRAQ ANDAFGHANISTAN.HE DIED AT HIS HOME FROMCOMPLICATIONS RELATED TOCOVID-19 ON THE 4TH OF JULY.Nick Conley/Friend: "We wereblown away.

You know, you hearabout this virus, and you don’texpect it to affect people,younger people like ourselves."NICK CONLEY HAS CALLED ROSE AFRIEND FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS.THEY MET THROUGH A SHARED LOVEOF VIDEO GAMES.HE IS CRUSHED THAT HE LOST HISFRIEND TO THIS VIRUS.BUT HE’S ALSO HURT BY SOMETHINGROSE POSTED ON FACEBOOK BACK INAPRIL.THAT POST HAS NOW BEEN SHAREDMORE THAN 10,000 TIMES.IT READS "LET’S MAKE THIS CLEAR.I’M NOT BUYING A MASK.

I’VE MADEIT THIS FAR BY NOT BUYING INTOTHAT DAMN HYPE."Nick Conley/Friend: "Rick isgetting slaughtered online rightnow for his decision that hemade not to wear a mask, andthat’s not right.

You know, weshould still be compassionatewhether we agree with someone’sbeliefs or not.

Someone haspassed away.

We should have somecompassion towards that."ROSE’S FAMILY TELLS ME HE TESTEDPOSITIVE FOR COVID ON JULY 1STAND DIED JUST THREE DAYS LATER.I’M TOLD ROSE HAD NO KNOWNPRE-EXISTING HEALTH CONDITIONS.Nick Conley/Friend: "It’horrible that we lost Rick, butthe even more tragic part ofthat is who else became infectedbecause of the actions that hechose?"Kelly Kennedy/Reporting: "Do youfeel like your friend’s death,though, should serve as awarning, especially to youngerpeople, to take this virusseriously?"Nick Conley/Friend: "100% andthat’s exactly why I made a postthat I made showing people.

Iknow a lot of people thathaven’t met someone that theyknow of that has been diagnosewith the virus, and I wantedpeople to see it was real,