A decorated U.S. Navy SEAL from Illinois who was killed during a raid against al-Qaida in Yemen is being remembered as a hero by elected officials and those who knew him as a high school student. A friend from Illinois Valley Central High School, Cody Jackson, said Chief Special Warfare Operator William “Ryan” Owens was doing exactly what he wanted with his life when the 36-year-old Peoria man was killed in a firefight in a raid that left 30 others dead, including an estimated 14 militants.