Windsor resident lost old friend in Dallas sniper shooting

Patty Huffstetler sat shell shocked in front of her computer, scrolling through messages and news articles about the terrifying shootings of police officers in Dallas, Texas.

The Windsor resident had just learned an old high school friend of hers was one of the men gunned down in an ambush-style attack on law enforcement.

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Brent Thompson was one ofthe first victims identified in Thursday night's shooting that killed five officers. Huffstetler went to school with Thompson, growing up in Corsicana, a community just 45 minutes south of Dallas.

"He was just very engaging, always had a smile on his face," she said. "He was very well liked, very well respected. Everyone knew the Thompson family and loved them dearly."

Huffstetler says she offered her condolences to Thompson's sister-in-law this morning.Like many people affected by theshooting,Huffstetlerisstill grappling with why it all happened.

"I just think that it's kind of senseless and I'm still questioning why it reallyhappened," she said. "I can't wrap my head around how somebody can pick somebody out of a crowd and shoot them and not even know them or know who they are or have a legitimate reason other than just pure hatred."

Another officer killed Thursday was from Detroit, Mich. Michael Krol, 40, was the deputy of jails for the Wayne County Sheriff's Office between 2003 and 2007.

"We are saddened by the loss of the dedicated officers in Dallas - one of whom was a former member of this agency - and also the wounding of the other officers," Wayne County SheriffBenny Napoleon said in the statement.