WINDHAM, Ohio — With a population of just over 2,000, Windham Village in Portage County is not used to seeing cases like the death of 11-year-old Joseph McAtee. so people turn to leaders like Pastor Sandi Dennis-Greenberg.
"It's not just a tragedy for the family, although that is a major thing; it's also a tragedy for the community," Dennis-Greenberg told 3News. "You start thinking about people who have kids that age that are impacted by that, neighbors that are impacted by that," Dennis-Greenberg said.
Windham police responded to an apartment on Cloverleaf Road Tuesday following a reported stabbing. At the scene, 18-year-old Nathan McAtee allegedly told an officer he had "stabbed someone," and the body of his younger brother, Joseph, was located a short time later inside the home. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The elder McAtee was arraigned Wednesday morning in Ravenna Municipal Court on a charge of aggravated murder. The judge set bond at $1 million, which a smirking McAtee called "ridiculous." He is currently being held at the Portage County Jail and will undergo a mental health evaluation, according to court records.
Windham Police Chief Richard M. Garinger says the family was new to town, a town where churches like Windham United Methodist start prayer chains for neighbors, drop food boxes by someone's home if they're sick, and know who sits next to them in the pews.
Dennis-Greenberg says even newcomers should expect the same treatment.
"I want them to know they're not alone," she said, "that there are many people here who would be happy to reach out and help them if they knew what was needed."
And while she and other pastors are ready to help when the community is in mourning, they can also simply be a resource.
"It's important for churches in a community to know their community well and be able to offer counsel if it's sought out and to be able to offer referrals to other services that might be able to help," she added.
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