Gilchrist County sheriff thanks community for support in Facebook post

GILCHRIST COUNTY, Fla. – Nearly two weeks after two of his deputies were shot and killed as they ate at a Trenton restaurant, Gilchrist County Sheriff Bobby Schultz on Wednesday posted a note to the community on Facebook. 

"Dear Gilchrist County Friends and Family," Schultz's Facebook post begins, "I would like to take a moment to show my appreciation to all those that had a hand in any way, after the loss of Sgt Noel Ramirez and Deputy Taylor Lindsey. There are no words to convey the sentiments in my heart. 'Thank You' seems so inadequate to express the appreciation for all the support and concern shown to GCSO over the past couple of weeks."

The sheriff previously said John Hubert Highnote, 59, walked into the Ace China restaurant April 19 and gunned down the two deputies without warning as they ate together in uniform. Schultz said Highnote then returned to his truck, which was in a parking lot around the corner, and took his own life.

Ramirez, 29, and Lindsey, 25, were laid to rest with full honors last week as hundreds of law enforcement vehicles from around the state joined a 15-mile long procession, one of the longest in Florida history, from the memorial at a local high school to the graveside service.

During the service, Schultz described his deputies as “fun-loving, God-fearing, good, good men."

In addition to thanking Gilchrist County residents and surrounding communities in his Facebook post, Schultz also addressed the fallen deputies' families.

"To the Ramirez and Lindsey families, our thoughts and prayers will be with you in the months and years ahead. We can never show our appreciation for the ultimate sacrifice you and your loved ones made for us," Schultz wrote in the Facebook post. "We will never forget them or you, and it is our solemn promise to carry on in their stead and to make them proud."

Below is Schultz's entire message: