Community saddened by student's death

WETUMPKA, Ala. (WALA) - Gilbert Collar graduated from Wetumpka High School in May, but the 18-year-old remained in contact with his wrestling coach and others in the small community.  In fact, Jeff Glass talked to Collar about a week before the college freshman's death.

"The wrestling community is not very big, so we're pretty close," Glass said

Glass said the information released by the university about the shooting just doesn't make sense to him.

"Some of the wording in it such as him being muscular.  As far as a muscular man, he was 5'7, maybe a 140 pounds. He was an 18-year-old kid, maybe a young man.  I think the information they put out served their purposes.  I think it's callous. I think it's cruel to propagate negativity in an effort to validate what you did," he said.

Related: Sadness, questions follow USA shooting

Glass is hoping more details will come out to shed some light on what happened during the early morning hours Saturday that led to Collar's death.

"My personal belief, and I don't have any way to back this up, I think it was possibly a dare, a prank that went tragically and terrible wrong," he said.

The coach's feelings are mirrored throughout the community.  We also talked to parents at the school.

Sonya Powell has three children at the high school.

"What happened? How can you just shoot somebody like that?  Did you not have a taser, something, someone else there to help you," Powell said.

"I wonder if the cop maybe overreacted or something.  I don't know," parent Terry Stegman said.

A neighbor of Collar said he was also hurt to learn of the young man's death. 

Bradley Rigsby believes the officer who shot Collar has a lot of explaining to do.

Related: Students question use of force in deadly shooting

"They carry all this stuff on their belt you know mash billy clubs, tasers even. You know, why, why a gun?" Rigsby said.

Students and others from the community with gather at the high school for a vigil in Collar's honor at 6 p.m. Tuesday.   

A fund has been set up for Collar's family at River Bank and Trust in Wetumpka.

Collar's funeral will be held at 4 p.m. Saturday at Mulder United Methodist Church in Wetumpka.