.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The family of the two brothers gunned down by their uncle at the House of Pho last week released a statement today thanking those who rushed to help them in the minutes after the shooting.

“Our family is forever grateful for your courage, your compassion, and your kindness,” the family wrote.

Police say Anpha Nguyen, 31, and Jerry Nguyen, 24, were gunned down by their uncle, 58-year-old Dung Nguyen in their Vietnamese food restaurant on San Mateo and Montgomery Friday. Their father, Hung Nguyen, was shot in the leg and is expected to survive.

Dung Nguyen fled the scene and then shot and killed himself when officers tried to pull him over a couple miles away, according to a police department spokesman. Police have not said why they believe Dung Nguyen shot his nephews.

The family said the two brothers were fun-loving positive people.

“Anpha and Jerry are two extraordinary souls, and they inspire us each and every day to live a life filled with laughter, music and love,” they wrote.

Read the full statement from the family:

Thank you to the brave human beings who rushed to help when this tragic incident occurred. Our family is forever grateful for your courage, your compassion, and your kindness.

Anpha and Jerry are two extraordinary souls, and they inspire us each and every day to live a life filled with laughter, music, and love. We celebrate the blessed opportunity to love and be loved by such positive, fun-loving brothers. They teach us the importance of being generous with our affection and gift us with the understanding that nothing is more precious in life than being fully present with our loved ones.

We ask that the global community please respect our privacy as we begin this lifelong journey of healing and growth.

There will be a visitation and gathering held on Friday, April 8, 2016 from 9:00am – 8:00pm at French -Lomas, 10500 Lomas Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87112. Friends may join us in the celebration of Anpha and Jerry’s lives from 9:00am – 8:00pm