Mourners were holding a wake Friday for a 6-year-old New Jersey boy who was shot in the head by his 4-year-old neighbor.
Family and friends were also set to hold a candlelight vigil Friday night for Brandon Holt and another vigil Saturday after his funeral.
They recalled the energetic boy who loved the Jersey Shore boardwalk, and wore buttons that featured his picture with ribbons in green — his favorite color.
"He was just so strong of a person, and to not have him and to not have him here is like losing everything," said Laura Decker, an aunt of the boy.
Neighbors have also placed purple ribbons on trees and mailboxes along his street, in his honor.
Holt died at a hospital Tuesday night, about 24 hours after he was shot with a rifle outside the 4-year-old's home in Toms River.
The two boys had been playing outside when Holt was shot from about 15 yards away. It's not clear if the 4-year-old pulled the trigger or if the rifle accidentally discharged.
Holt's grandmother, Donna Elefante, told NBC 4 New York that the parents of the younger boy initially told Holt's family that the gun used in the shooting was a pellet gun and that their son had gotten the gun from under the bed in the master bedroom.
Police are continuing to investigate how the younger child obtained the rifle from his family's home on McCormick Drive. The boy's father was known to be an avid hunter, and his three children have names associated with hunting terms, according to neighbors and law enforcement sources.