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Hundreds pay tribute to the five victims of the East Lansdowne shooting and fire

Hundreds pay tribute to the five victims of the East Lansdowne shooting and fire Saturday
Hundreds pay tribute to the five victims of the East Lansdowne shooting and fire Saturday 01:19

YEADON, Pa. (CBS)  -- Hundreds of people gathered at Yeadon Community Park to pay tribute to the five victims of the East Lansdowne shooting and fire.

A balloon release was held for Xuong Le, his wife Britni McLaughlin-Le, and their three children: 17-year-old Natalya, 13-year-old Nakayla and 10-year-old Xavier. A candlelight vigil was held hours later outside the family's home on Lewis Ave.

RELATED: Penn Wood High School community mourns death of student killed in East Lansdowne shooting, house fire

Officials said they believe the family was killed by Xuong's brother Canh Le during a shooting and fire at their home on Wednesday.

The gunman also shot and wounded two police officers who responded to the emergency.

Britni's father, brother, sister and godmother said they are heartbroken by the loss, but the turnout at the balloon release and vigil is a reflection of how much their family members were loved.

"They were beautiful people," John McLaughlin, Britni McLaughlin-Le's father, said. "You can pick any one of their lives and go through it with a fine tooth comb and you will see they were beautiful people."

Family members said they're holding onto their faith to get through this difficult time. They're asking the community for prayers.

READ MORE: Delco prosecutors expect to close the tragedy in East Lansdowne as more information comes to light

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