A father from California was tragically stabbed to death in broad daylight while he was holding his 8-year-old son’s hand, just moments after picking him up from school, according to authorities.

“The homicide was horrifying,” stated interim Chief Paul Yep of the San Francisco Police Department during a press conference on Friday after the arrest of the suspect in the killing of Robert Byrd II.

“A father crossing the street with his son was fatally attacked in a crosswalk following a confrontation with the suspect,” Yep informed the press. “Following this event, our officers embarked on an exhaustive investigation to track down and detain the suspect. We were unwavering in our efforts.”

Byrd had just picked up his son from Commodore Sloat Elementary School in San Francisco on Wednesday when an argument with another man led to the assault, according to police reports. “There were exchanged words; witnesses heard the commotion, and then the perpetrator stabbed the victim before fleeing,” explained San Francisco District 7 Supervisor Myrna Melgar to local ABC affiliate KGO on Wednesday after the incident.

While the police have not disclosed the suspect’s name or motive, it is reported that he was detained over the weekend and is known to be a local resident. Investigators utilized automated license plate readers, surveillance footage, and a drone, along with witness testimonies, to locate and apprehend the individual.

“Many of our officers haven’t slept in a couple days,” SFPD official Thomas Maguire told reporters on Friday. “They worked around the clock. With community cooperation and with utilizations of technology and a major deployment of our police personnel, we were able to follow leads that led us to Tuolumne County, and we made a safe arrest.”

Officials described Byrd’s death as “particularly disturbing to the community and to the parents and students” of the San Francisco Unified School District. Superintendent Maria Su said Friday that it was a “horrific, horrific tragedy” that SFUSD had “never experienced at this level” before.

“A kid shouldn’t lose his father,” resident Trish Lethin told KGO. “But then to have to see him die or be with him when he is dying, that is not okay.”

Teresa Agustin, a parent whose child attends Commodore, wrote on Facebook Sunday that when she would pick her son up from school, Byrd “was always there early waiting for his own son” to come out. “He offered a welcoming smile and I’ve always waved back,” Agustin said, sharing a GoFundMe that was started for Byrd’s family.

In the description, Byrd is described as a devoted father whose “greatest love was his son, who was holding his hand in the moments before this tragedy occurred,” according to the school’s Parent Club Organization, which launched the GoFundMe. “This senseless act of violence has left us all deeply shocked and heartbroken,” the group said.

Local prosecutors are currently reviewing evidence to determine what charges are warranted for Byrd’s alleged killer. San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said Friday that her office will announce charges in the coming days.

“We do ask for your patience in allowing us to review all of the evidence that still needs to be collected as well as what has already been collected,” Jenkins told reporters. “We do still have outstanding witness interviews that need to happen so that we can make a comprehensive decision about what to do going forward.”