TREMONTON, Utah — In the relatively small towns of Box Elder County, it seemed nothing bad could happen.
“How could this possibly happen again in our county?” County Commissioner Lee Perry said through tears. "How could anybody be so cruel to do something like this and cause this kind of hurt to our community?”
On Monday, however, the whole town seemed to be at a standstill.
The town was rocked after two officers were shot and killed Sunday evening, with a sheriff's deputy and a K-9 shot and wounded.
“Definitely put everybody in shock. Not a lot of things happen like this in this small of a town,” said Tremonton resident Lincoln Doutre.
WATCH: Procession escorts bodies of fallen officers through Tremonton and Garland
“Shocking in our little town, when we moved here, it was much smaller than it is now. There's a lot of growth. With that growth is expected to come a little crime, but nothing like this,” said Tremonton resident Benjy Smith.
Even the fair seemed quiet, because everyone was out on the streets instead.
“We just have hundreds of people coming together, all wanting to do something to benefit this community and let those families know that they're loved and that we have their back,” Perry said.
Smith and his family have lived in the area for 10 years, and said it’s not surprising to see the community come together during a tragedy.
“What's really nice about our small town, if you look around as we're driving in, the streets are absolutely packed with people here to support and to show their respect and condolences, and that's pretty dang amazing,” he said.
WATCH: Tremonton mayor and other residents react to tragic loss of officers
Doutre was one of the many residents who sat in the sun for hours waiting for the procession to come down Main Street.
“If it were somebody that I knew, that one of my family members that sacrificed, I'd want everybody else to show respect for them,” he said.
Kaitlin Smith, who was with her kids, wants the families to know they’re not alone.
“We're so sorry, but hope you feel a little bit of comfort knowing that not only our little town, but the whole state of Utah and hopefully the country, is rallying behind you guys,” she said.
While Perry was overwhelmed by how much the community came together to line the streets with flags and blue ribbons, he was not surprised, because it's just what their community does.
“This community came together in a big way. And they'll do it again, because that's who we are in Box Elder County,” he said through tears.
