Brothers Timothy and Daniel Nakamoto were shot after “a verbal argument escalated into a physical altercation inside… (Mac’s Speed Shop)…” in Fayetteville, N.C. on the evening of Jan. 3, a Fayetteville Police Department statement read. CBS17 reported “Daniel died at the restaurant, while paramedics rushed Timothy to the hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, according to Fayetteville police.”

Jevon Smith, a childhood friend of the brothers, told WRAL News that “they were just a ball of energy and chemistry.” He added that the three of them worked together at Best Buy.

“(They were like) we’ll show you the ropes and stuff like that. Danny was already kind of like, moving up the ranks at that time, even when I was applying. And so he just took me under his wing,” Smith told WRAL News.

“We’re heartbroken by the news, and our thoughts are with the Nakamoto family and their loved ones,” a Best Buy statement reads via WRAL News. “Danny was a beloved member of the Best Buy family for 25 years and touched the lives of so many along the way.”

The police released an updated statement on their Website that “after reviewing forensic evidence, witness statements, video surveillance, and in close consultation with the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office, it has been determined that the individual who discharged the firearm acted in lawful self-defense.” The police are “not releasing the identity of the individual who acted in self-defense, as the individual has not been charged with a crime.” Officers said the shooting was an “isolated incident and there is no ongoing threat to the community.”

Mac’s Speed Shop did not respond to requests for comment.