(NECN: Alysha Palumbo - Wilmington, MA) - In a silent but powerful show of support, more than two thousand police officers, firefighters and color guards from across the country lined the streets of Woburn and Wilmington, Massachusetts for 60-year-old Patrolman Jack Maquire's journey to his final resting place.
Woburn Police Chief Philip Mahoney said, "Every single intersection along the way the citizens of Woburn were out there, they had American flags, they had the kids out there with hero signs - and he was and is."
Officer Maguire was a 34 year veteran of the Woburn police department and the son of the late former Woburn Police Chief Thomas Maguire.
Maguire was trying to stop an armed robbery at Kohl's during Sunday night's blizzard when paroled convict Dominic Cinelli opened fire, killing the officer… but not before Maguire also fatally wounded him.
"When our loved ones go off to work, they deserve to come home, they deserve to walk in that door, Jack's not coming home anymore, his family's going to miss him, we're going to miss him," said Chief Mahoney.
Maguire's cousin Anne Decubellis heard the call on the scanner and couldn't believe her Jack was gone.
But she says even though he could have retired years ago, he chose to keep doing what he loved.
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"He didn't want to leave yet because he'd miss the five years of presents and cards, now that's Jack, he wanted to be there," said Decubellis.
Even those who didn't know Officer Maguire personally felt compelled to be here because of the sacrifices he and his family have made.
Haverhill Police Officer Ryan Connolly said, "If it was myself there he would have done the same for me."
Massachusetts State Police Colonel Marian McGovern said, "That's a loss for everyone in this community when a member of law enforcement loses their life to protect everyone."
Officer Maguire is the first Woburn police officer ever killed in the line of duty.
Reverend Marsha Heydenreich said, "I think out of this grief comes a question, how can this happen?"
Now the focus turns to the suspect and how the parole board released a man serving three life sentences.
