NewWest 9
MARATHON--Residents are still in shock. "This does not happen here. Nobody was ready for this to happen. Nobody has quite accepted it yet."
With a population of around 500, Marathon is a peaceful, close-knit community. Some residents say, they came for a visit and never left.
That's why for some, it's hard to believe, Saturday's shooting even happened.
And the circumstances surrounding it, don't sit well, with Tim Thayor, "My personal attitude is keep that at home. If you want to do that where ever you live, that's fine. I moved out here to get away from that."
Some residents we spoke to said the last thing to rock the small town was a suicide a few years ago. But to talk about a murder is unheard of. Thayor comments, "We live here peacefully, among ourselves. I don't know when the last time anyone has been shot here. I've heard it's as far back as WWII."
A wedding and an anniversary party were taking place in The Gage Hotel that night, along with a few other events in town. Those in attendance had no idea how their nights would end.
"Everybody was really shocked. It ended everybodies evening. It's still sitting on people right now, three days later. "
Although the night ended in tragedy Theyor talks about the closeness of these Marathon residents, "We're glad it's not anybody from town. We're glad it's not anybody we know. We're glad that one of our friends is not dead."
