Hawkins' son, Vasie Edwards, said he has known the victims for several years from feeding them every Thursday night. Edwards has also known Vinson since he was a kid, as their families are friends.

While the police had earlier said that Vinson had been released from the hospital, Edwards said he was still at Harford Memorial and would hopefully be released later Tuesday or Wednesday.

"He's still feeling weak, a lot of chest pains," Edwards said of his friend's condition. The two speak a few times a day and Edwards is working to find him a place to stay once he is released from the hospital.

Edwards said he feels "real bad" about what happened to the victims. "I [would] feel bad if that happened to anybody."

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"Just from being around them through the week and feeding them every Thursday," he said of the relationship, "it's like a family."

Edwards said he and the ministry is working with the Diamond Club in Aberdeen, as well as the Holiday Inn to donate coats, shoes, socks and toiletries to give out during the vigil — the ministry's usual night for feeding those in need.

He also hopes to get other churches in the area involved so the community is more aware of the homeless problem in Harford County, which goes "deeper than you imagine," Edwards commented. "We need to get this out there."

Homeless in Harford

Elizabeth Hendrix, director of community services for the Harford County government, said the county has a "freezing weather plan" that goes into effect when temperatures reach 32 degrees or below.

In those situations, any homeless person looking for assistance is automatically placed in a shelter or a motel room, if there are no beds available in the shelter. This was the case for Thursday night into Friday.

"It's a shame that this had to happen," Hendrix said about Hooker and Woodrow staying outside overnight.

When asked why people might choose to stay outside rather than seeking shelter, especially when a freezing weather plan is in place, Hendrix said in most cases those people are "selecting not to come in [from] the cold for a variety of issues." This could range from drug addiction to mental illness.

"Typically, those are the two primary reasons," she continued. Hendrix, however, was speaking in generalities and not about the Aberdeen situation or the victims of that incident.