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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.