The Reason 1 Mom Posted These Pictures of Her Baby Will Leave You in Tears

A mother was left heartbroken after learning the devastating news that her husband was killed in the line of duty.

While serving search and arrest warrants, deputy Carl Koontz was fatally shot. Despite immediately undergoing surgery, the Indiana officer died from his wounds, leaving behind his wife and baby boy. Shortly after his death, Kassandra posted touching photos of their 8-month-old son as a tribute to her beloved husband.

The caption itself was short on words, simply saying: "Maybe to lighten the mood a little with this handsome little man! He is wearing his daddy's badge with pride." The images of tiny Noah cradling his father's badge, however, leave a powerful message. The sweet boy innocently smiles at the camera while he clutches the police badge that once belonged to his dad and now looks so large in his tiny hand.

"You can only imagine the loss here, a wife with a small child," said Howard County Sheriff Steve Rogers. "It's just what you can imagine, as far as the stress and the sadness we're dealing with right now."