Huntsville police officials today remembered slain officer Garrett Crumby as a tireless caregiver who loved his job, while also stating that a wounded officer Albert Morin “has a ways to go” toward healing.

Huntsville Police Chief Kirk Giles said in a brief news conference this afternoon that the aftermath of Tuesday’s fatal shooting of Crumby, 36, and the wounding of Morin, 34, was “a very tough time for our department, our officers, our employees and our city.”

Police spoke about the officers at the news briefing outside the city’s public safety complex. They declined to answer questions about the investigation or what happened at the scene of the shootings.

Morin remains in critical condition but is expected to survive.

Related: How to support wounded Huntsville officer Albert Morin, family of fallen policeman Garrett Crumby

Crumby and Morin, along with a woman whose name has not yet been released, were shot Tuesday afternoon just before 5 p.m. at an apartment complex on the 4600 block of Governors House Drive. Police have not released an update today on the woman’s condition. On Tuesday they said her injuries were not life-threatening.

[Related: Huntsville police officer Albert Morin still in critical condition following shooting]

Giles said the department has received messages of support from around Alabama and the nation in the wake of the shooting. At today’s briefing they focused on the two men at the center of the tragedy.

Deputy Chief Michael Johnson said he knew both Crumby and Morin from the more than two years he spent in the department’s West Precinct.

Crumby, a native Alabamian and a former Tuscaloosa police officer, was known around the department as “the sweet tooth guy,” Johnson said. He could regularly be seen at roll call with a honey bun pastry or a Subway sandwich, chased down by the “cocktail” of a Monster energy drink and coffee, he said.

He was an outdoorsman, a caregiver, and known to fellow officers for his volunteer work, a positive attitude, and willingness to learn, the department said in a statement.

“He took a very extended leave at one point during his career with us to take care of a loved one,” Johnson said. “Some of his officers took up money to help him with that, that’s how much they thought of Garrett.”

Crumby joined Huntsville police in August 2020 following seven years as a patrol and field training officer with Tuscaloosa. He worked for HPD’s West Precinct and was known by his fellow officers for his positive attitude and willingness to learn.

According to the department, he hoped to become an investigator with the department’s Financial Crimes Unit. A recent evaluation described him this way: “Although Officer Crumby’s tenure with HPD is young, his heart is big and his drive is pure.”

Morin, who joined HPD in August 2017, is a native New Yorker, Johnson said. He came to Huntsville from a stint in the military and time in Florida.

In 2019, he was named West Precinct Officer of the Year. He is known among peers for being a hard-working, “get it done” quiet man who schooled younger officers on the finer points of the job and enjoying solitary hikes.

A supervisor said last year that Morin was the most productive officer on his squad, according to the department.

“They weren’t just police officers; they were people,” Johnson said. “They had families. They had loves and hobbies beyond the job. But they did love police work.”

Giles said he had not talked to Morin yet, but his family said he had been awake and alert.

“Matter of fact, he made a comment to them that, ‘I’m ready to go back to work,’” Giles said. “Obviously, he’s not. But that just shows the kind of tough mentality that he has.”

Giles grew visibly emotional, his voice breaking, in talking about the effect of the tragedy on the department.

“It’s a difficult thing to deal with,” he said. “I’ve gone through this four times. You’ve got to understand, these officers, these employees, we have to go back to work.”

Juan Robert Laws, 24, was booked into the Madison County Jail just before 11 p.m. Tuesday on a charge of capital murder of a law enforcement officer. He is being held without bond. Tim Gann, the chief deputy district attorney for Madison County, told AL.com he expects additional charges against Laws.