MARIETTA, Ga. — Neighbors are coming to terms with what happened in the area they call normally quiet and peaceful.
Cobb County Sheriff's deputies tried to serve a warrant Thursday evening at a home along Hampton Glenn Court. On Friday, crews nailed plywood over the gaping holes on the home's door and windows, evidence of the standoff that transpired the night before.
Branden Logan said as he walks his dog Oliver along the roads he rode his bike on as a child, he feels a wave of emotion knowing the neighborhood has been changed forever.
“It’s just heartbreaking," Logan said.
The 22-year-old grew up in the Hampton Glen neighborhood and has fond memories.
“It was very quiet," Logan said. "I remember probably about 13, 14 years old with my buddies, we’d run around and play cowboys and Indians.”
Logan grew up with Javier Cruz.
Cruz worked as a landscaper at the suspect's home and said the family seemed normal, even bringing him water during the scorching weather.
“He seemed like a really nice guy. He spoke with a nice attitude and never spoke with an angry attitude, never gave the vibe he would ever do these types of things," Cruz said. “You don’t ever know the book until you read it."
Other neighbors said the memories of Thursday's events are still fresh.
“It’s scary for me and my family. We couldn’t sleep last night," Carl Heard said.
Heard lives right up the street from where the two deputies lost their lives in a standoff.
“It really hits home," Heard said.
The line-of-duty deaths especially affect Heard because he also works in law enforcement.
“I’ve had people pull up on me at my job, and it was a situation where I could have probably gotten shot," Heard said.
Cobb County Sheriff Craig Owens said though metro Atlanta is in mourning, he is comforted by how the community is responding to the tragic news.
“It lights a fire in me," Logan said.
The passion grows from what Logan sees at the home next to a street he played on as a child.
“My next step will be law enforcement, and it’s probably going to be in the near future," Logan said.
He added that he would like to work for law enforcement in Cherokee County, although he is considering Cobb County as well.