A Brooklyn community is mourning the loss of a man they say spent years caring for others, only to lose his life protecting the very building he was helping to keep safe.
Police say Burim Havolli, 41, an experienced superintendent of a Ditmas Park apartment building on Ocean Avenue, was killed Wednesday morning after a confrontation with a man who was suspected of stealing residents' packages.
He left behind a wife and three children, all under the age of eight, reports foxnews.
Havolli, a husband and father of three young children, had worked in that building for 16 years and was known among residents for his kindness, humility, and dedication.
His brother, Blerim Havolli, told FOX 5 NY that Burimi "helped everyone – everyone, no matter who they were."
"He died saving the building's residents," he added.
"He was very humble," his brother said through tears. "All the residents cried yesterday and today. He always wanted to help," Havolli declared.
Police say the fight began around 8 a.m. when Havolli tried to stop a man suspected of being part of a gang that had been stealing packages from the building since the summer, according to the New York Post.
Witnesses and police sources told the NYP that the fight turned violent when the suspect hit Havoll in the head with a cellphone.
His brother claims he was hit in the head with a cell phone.
He collapsed shortly afterwards and was rushed to a nearby hospital where he died.
Outside the building on Ocean Avenue, residents have set up a small memorial with candles, flowers and handwritten notes, as a tribute to the man who was the heart of their home. /Telegraph/
