Mount Gilead community rallies to support slain deputy's family, friends
MOUNT GILEAD, Ohio (WCMH) – It’s been a week since the people of Morrow County began mourning the tragic death of one of their own.
Morrow County Sheriff's Deputy Daniel Sherrer was shot and killed one week ago on the evening of Memorial Day. His accused killer, 53-year-old Brian Wilson, is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday for the first time since the shooting.
The community has shown up over and over again for the Morrow County Sheriff's Office who lost a colleague and a friend, and for the family who lost a loved one.
The day the shooting happened, a memorial was starting to be built on the deputy's cruiser in front of the Morrow County Sheriff's Office. It's now covered in flowers, memories, keepsakes, and other items to memorialize Sherrer.
Blue ribbons were hung throughout the town of Mount Gilead. A local gym bought blue lights for people to put on their porch in order to "light the county blue" for Sherrer and the rest of the law enforcement community.
The people of Morrow County showed up again for Sherrer and his family on Monday.
"The community, that's who supports our business,” said Pizzaburg Pizza owner Jason Bentz. “They buy pizza from us, so we want to support them as much as we can. We donate 30% of all of our sales, but then all tips and donations go back to the officer. Also, officers, family.”
The local pizza shop, run by Bentz and his wife Meghan, is normally closed on Mondays, but this Monday, it was staffed like it was a busy Friday night.
"We're hoping to be able to raise at least $3,000, $4,000,” Bentz said. “We'll see what happens.”
Between 5-6:30 p.m., the phone rang non-stop and the pizzas and strombolis were coming out of the oven at a steady pace. More than 150 pizzas were ordered by supporters who made the special trip to town on a Monday night.
"I am happy to be a part of this community, and I feel like all of the people in the community support each other like an extended family, and that's unusual in this day and age," Rhonda Taylor, who has lived in Marengo for 20 years, said.
Taylor walked into the pizza shop Monday night wearing a black t-shirt with the Morrow County Sheriff's badge on it, and a memorial to Sherrer. She said she bought it from a local clothing store to support her community and mourn the loss.
"I felt like I had been stabbed in the chest with an icicle,” she said. “It's just like a cold shot ran right through my chest because he was a very good person and way too young to die. He was the kind of guy that always would help people, no matter what was going on. He would try to help. And it just seemed so sad to me that he tried to help someone and lost his life because of it.”
For Taylor, helping her community during a time of need is a no-brainer.
"I want to at least acknowledge and show my respect for a person that made the ultimate sacrifice trying to help someone,” she said. “Daniel was one of those people who still cared for people as individuals, and saddens me that he is gone so soon.”
A public visitation service for Sherrer will run from 1-7 p.m. Tuesday at Northmor High School in Galion. On Wednesday morning, a public funeral service will begin at 11 a.m. at the same high school. Sherrer will be buried in a private ceremony in Marion later that day.