Community members with heavy hearts Thursday, as they're remembering 12-year-old Justin Johnson. Johnson was hit and killed by a school bus Tuesday in Kaukauna on his way home from school that afternoon.
His obituary says he loved his scooter, playing video games, fishing and doing magic tricks for friends and family.
Debra Douglas is one of many people visiting the memorial, but for her she says it's especially hard to watch since her next door neighbor was in class with Johnson.
"He sat right next to her in school and she goes to school now and he's not there and she's really she can't sleep at night," said Douglas.
Family therapists say reaction like that should be expected following a tragedy of this level.
"Everyone experiences trauma differently so there's going to be a wide variety of reactions from the kids," said licenses marriage and family therapist, Whitney Stager.
Talking about what happened can be challenging but therapists say don't push kids to talk. Instead just listen to them, but she says there are ways to tell if your child is experiencing trauma.
"Could be totally withdrawing away they just want to be alone, they don't want to talk to anybody that could be one sign. Extra aggression, so one extreme or the other also just extra nervousness or irritability," said Stager.
One thing that's helping kids cope is laying an item at the memorial.
Within the past 2 days the memorial has nearly doubled in size and therapists say it's a positive sign for healing.
"It's a good thing for people to have a place where they can gather,a place where they feel like they can do something," said Stager.
River View Middle School is working to set up a fund for Johnson's family to help during these tough times.
