"We're a very small community, and we care a lot and it's really tough," said Tim Fedewa, a community member in the Pewamo-Westphalia school district.
That's what many people said earlier this week. The community is struggling to deal with such a brutal act by someone to which people looked up.
"It's the last thing we would've though of from somebody like that," Fedewa said.
George Heckman was going to be the next superintendent of Pewamo-Westphalia Community Schools, and had worked with parents and families across the area.
People say that's why they consider it a tragedy.
Fedewa says he was good friends with the Heckman's family, and doesn't know how something like this could've happened.
"What was he going through? You know? What was the pain and suffering that he had to do something like that?" Fedewa continued "We don't know the answers and I think the answers lie with God and we just pray for his family."
Now, the communities are looking at how to try and prevent anything like this again.
"I think Pewamo and Westphalia are going to have a lot of soul-searching to do in ourselves and look around at the community and look around at our own people and make sure we try and see signs of people if they're hurting," says Fedewa.
He thinks it will be tough for the community to overcome this challenge, but he says they will come together to get past it.
