The first day of school can be tough for a lot of kids. For 9-year-old Caden Dixon this year was especially emotional--it was one month after his father, a sheriff's deputy in Hall County, Georgia, was shot and killed in the line of duty.

Deputy Nicholas Blane Dixon was shot while trying to stop a stolen car, according to Atlanta news station WSB .

Deputies showed up to support Caden and his mother Stephanie (center) on the first day of fourth grade.

Since he couldn't be there to take his son to his first day of fourth grade, more than a dozen deputies from the Hall County Sheriff's Office showed up to support Caden and walk him to class.

"He was having a rough morning because he didn't want to go to school without his dad being there," Sgt. Charles Hewell said in a statement. "Seeing his reaction when he saw us made everything worth it."

The Sheriff's Office says that deputies have taken an active role in supporting Caden, his mother Stephanie, and his four-year-old brother since the tragedy last month.

Dixon had been with the Hall County Sheriff's Office for three years. Four suspects in his death have been arrested and charged.

A GoFundMe has been set up to support the Dixon family.

Photo credit Hall County Sheriff's Office on Facebook.