TUSCUMBIA, Ala. (WHNT) — Following a recent murder-suicide that claimed the life of a mother, the Sheffield Police Department says the mother’s 10-year-old son was shot while trying to defend her.

Sheffield PD says the child was injured while defending his mother during a domestic dispute between her and her boyfriend.

The young boy is a student at New Bethel Elementary School in Tuscumbia. “His bravery and his courage, we’re inspired by him,” the school’s principal Nathan Fuller said.

In the aftermath of the incident, members of the community have come together to support him and his family, something Fuller says has been overwhelming.

“What I’ve seen is truly remarkable. It did start here in this community, but it has spread to so many other communities. I couldn’t even count how many emails, phone calls, texts I’ve received,” Fuller told News 19.

The principal said his student is continuing to recover from his injuries. He says the resiliency the 10-year-old is displaying on a daily basis in the aftermath of the incident is something he will never forget.

“There is no training or no manual for a situation like this, but Cayson’s strength and his toughness in this situation and his perseverance is really been inspiring to me and a lot of our students,” Fuller said.

Fuller says multiple fundraisers will occur in the coming days to help cover the 4th grader’s medical expenses and a memorial service for his mother.

The New Bethel Elementary principal says the family is thankful for the community’s support during a time they never thought they’d experience.

“They are very appreciative,” Fuller said. “They’ve shared with me several times that they wanted to send their thanks and gratitude to everybody here at our school for everything that is being done for them and throughout the whole community.”

For those in the community who wish to support the family, a GoFundMe for the student and his mother can be found here.