Heartbreak and anger have been common themes in recent days, as people nationwide react to waves of violence. After the police shootings of two black men – Alton Sterling and Philando Castile – in separate incidents, subsequent shootings have taken the lives of law enforcement officers. We are taking a moment to remember the people who lost their lives – what they cared about most, whether in uniform and at home with loved ones.

The Two Men Killed in High-Profile Police Shootings in Early July

Philando Castile, 32

Castile was a native of St. Paul, Minnesota. He was the cafeteria supervisor at J.J. Hill Montessori School in St. Paul, having worked there since 2002 and been promoted to supervisor two years before his death. Castile had been an honors student at St. Paul Central High School and attended the University of Minnesota.

Castile's friends and coworkers remembered him as a good man, friendly and popular with his colleagues and the children he worked with. One statement from a coworker noted, "Kids loved him. He was smart, over-qualified. He was quiet, respectful, and kind. I knew him as warm and funny; he called me his ‘wing man.'" A J.J. Hill Montessori parent wrote, "He knew every single one by name, pushed extra food in them like a grandma, and sneaked extra graham crackers into my son's bag because Peter got a kick out of it. My borderline autistic son hugged him every day. … This was a GOOD MAN."

Alton Sterling, 37

Sterling worked as a cook as well as selling CDs on the side, earning him the nickname "CD Man." The Baton Rouge, Louisiana resident had been living at the Living Waters Outreach Ministries shelter for a short time. Though he had a criminal record, friends and fellow shelter residents remembered him as gentle: "He wasn't a bad person," one friend said.

"Whatever he cooked, he cooked enough for everybody," a shelter resident told The Advocate. "I never saw him coming in here with a weapon, and I never saw him drunk." His aunt noted that he had already "paid his debt to society," and a cousin shed light on his life in an interview with the Post: "He had a hard life. He didn’t have no momma, no daddy. He wasn’t stable at all. He lived day to day based on what he made." Sterling is survived by five children.

Five Dallas Law Enforcement Officers, Killed 7/7/16

Lorne Ahrens, 48

Ahrens was a Senior Cpl. who had served with the Dallas Police Department for 14 years. A former semi-pro football player, he made an impression with his 6-foot-5 stature. Yet, he's also remembered for his soft side, especially when it came to his children; according to his father-in-law, he enjoyed taking them fishing and to the movies, and more than once, went to his daughter’s school in uniform to talk about policing and safety. 

He was married to a woman who shared his profession – Katrina Ahrens, a Dallas police detective who worked with the Crimes Against Persons division.

Michael Krol, 40

A native of Michigan, Krol became a member of the Dallas Police Department nine years ago. He was one of the victims of Friday's sniper shootings there. 

Krol's uncle remembers his nephew as being passionate about helping others. He also said that being an officer was Krol's life dream. 

"He got into law enforcement and worked really hard to be a police officer.  He spent some time at the correctional facility. It wasn’t quite what he was looking for, so he worked pretty hard to find a job and got one in Dallas," Ehlke said. "He was all in, he was all in." 

Sign the Dallas Law Enforcement Officers' Guest Book

Michael Smith, 55

Smith was a Sergeant with the Dallas Police Department and a U.S. Army veteran who served as an Army Ranger. He attended the Lamar Institute of Technology. The father of two girls had considered retirement, according to his brother-in-law, but decided it was more important for him to stay on and support the police force.