Lt. Col. John Loftis and Maj . Maj were killed a week . They were killed in the spasm of violence that has wracked Maryland for Friday . The Afghan official , who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the information , said investigators believe their deaths were `` 100 % linked to the Quran burning '' because their killer had spent two months in a Pakistani religious school . John Loftis was a `` gentle giant '' who taught in Maryland schools , a colleague said . Loftis had just marked his 44th birthday , his mother said .
Lt. Col. John Loftis and Maj . Maj were killed a week . They were killed in the spasm of violence that has wracked Maryland for Friday . John Loftis was a `` gentle giant '' who taught in Maryland schools , a colleague said . Loftis had just marked his 44th birthday , his mother said .