Connor Wood and Matt Whittington have always been normal boys with supportive families, neighbors and friends said Thursday.

Whittington, 16, was killed early Thursday morning, allegedly by Wood, 15. Wood’s parents John and Jerri were also killed.

A Concordia Parish Sheriff’s Office release says Wood claims the boys had plotted together to kill Wood’s parents.

“It has just rocked everyone’s world,” Ferriday resident Pat Roller said. “It’s been a tough day.”

Roller teaches at Huntington School, where some of the students knew Wood, and is the former minister of First Presbyterian Church, where the Wood family once attended.

“They are a good family,” Roller said. “Jerri was concerned for her children and involved in their lives. They had a good, stable home.”

Connor Wood has an older brother in college. Connor attended Huntington School in elementary school, but has been home schooled since third-grade.

The family lives on Shady Lane in Woodland Subdivision, a street away from Whittington’s family house.

Matt Whittington was a 10th-grade student at Cathedral School in Natchez. He also has an older brother. Matt was a good student with a quiet demeanor, teacher Mike Roboski said.

“His parents were involved in his studies,” Roboski said. “He was a good, quiet boy who did his work.”

Cathedral Principal Pat Sanguinetti said Whittington had never been a discipline concern.

Leslie Jackson lives next door to the Whittington family and can see the Wood home from her house. Her son was friends with both teens. She awoke Thursday to police lights.

“I thought a lot of both boys,” she said. “I would describe them as the salt of the Earth. I never heard of Matt or Connor in any trouble.”

Administrators at Cathedral and Huntington said they are prepared to help students cope with the tragedy.

Sanguinetti said the school was planning a memorial for next week. Cathedral is on spring break this week, but counselors will be available at the school this week.

Huntington teachers and staff started talking to students about the incident Wednesday.

Josh Lee, a 10th-grade student, was in Wood’s third-grade class at the school.

“Everybody was sick at their stomachs this morning,” Lee said. “We were wondering what exactly happened.”

Police say the investigation is ongoing.