Fox Lake Mayor Donny Schmit helped steer his tight-knit community through crisis after the Sept. 1, 2015, killing of police Lt. Charles Joseph Gliniewicz. Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com

As a small town mayor, Donny Schmit is used to late-night calls for one issue or another, hobnobbing with residents at countless functions and speaking at local events.

Five generations of the Schmit family have called Fox Lake home, and he likens the tight-knit community of about 11,000 to a family.

So it was in early September, 10 years ago. But instead of dealing with a local merchant or resident problem, Schmit faced banks of microphones and a sea of cameras as the little town on the Chain O' Lakes became national news.

He was asked to explain how the community was dealing with the fatal shooting

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