He said his brother, who most recently worked as a maintenance worker at a local Days Inn, dropped out of high school several years ago, but later obtained his GED.

Though he lived with his mother, Colono had a daughter of his own who turned three yesterday, Mario Colono said.

“He was real sweet,” Mario Colono said. “He showed a lot of care for [his mother].”

“He will be missed by me and my family greatly,” he said.

Mario Colono called his brother “a good person,” “a role model” and “easy-going.”

“That’s why I don’t understand why this couldn’t be avoided,” Mario Colono said.

—Material from the Associated Press was used in the reporting of this story.

—Hera A. Abbasi contributed to the reporting of this story.

—Staff writer Hana R. Alberts can be reached at alberts@fas.harvard.edu.

—Staff writer Jenifer L. Steinhardt can be reached at steinhar@fas.harvard.edu.