Davis remembers fallen Officer Natalie Corona in packed vigil

DAVIS, Calif. (KGO) -- Stephanie Teague, like many others in Davis, was up almost all night on Thursday. She was devastated.

"I didn't actually know Natalie," Teague, a Davis resident, said. "I didn't know her family, but like so many others I followed the story."

The story made Teague plan a vigil for a stranger, turned hero.

RELATED: New details emerge of Davis Police Officer's ambush murder

Thursday night, 22-year-old Davis Police Officer Natalie Corona was ambushed from behind while working a traffic crash.

Investigators identified the shooter as 48-year-old Kevin Limbaugh. Officials say after firing once, Limbaugh reloaded, fired again just barely missing others, and then walked home where he took his life.

On Saturday, police released a letter Limbaugh left behind following the shooting.

"Just wanted to show my support and the community is really going to come together tonight," Logan McNamara, a Davis resident said.

They did. It felt like all of Davis showed up to Central Park with messages of hope, but still carrying the weight of sadness.

"She was too young," Mary Gillis, a Davis resident said. "She was too young to die doing what she loved."

Heartfelt emotions were displayed all over the stage during the vigil as strangers, friends, and family members appeared one after another in front a silent candlelit crowd.

Officer Corona's cousins recalled her love of service and law enforcement.

"She proved herself to me every day," Officer Corona's cousin said.

"I wanted to be just like her," another cousin of Corona's said. "I wanted to be as strong as her. I wanted to be as dedicated as her."

RELATED: Police release strange letter from deceased man accused of killing Davis Officer Natalie Corona

Officer Corona's police academy classmates and Davis PD family tried to share their best "funny" stories.

"We wanted to get what we call code 7, which is our lunch," an officer shared from the stage with a laugh as he told a story about Officer Corona. The laughter filled the crowd.

It seemed like the laughter helped, but only for the moment.

Officer Corona's memorial is scheduled for this Friday. It is open to the public.

Take a look at the latest stories and videos about fallen Officer Natalie Corona.