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'They made everybody smile': Community remembers brothers shot and killed in Bedford Heights

Josh and Dominic Cunningham were murdered outside the A Touch of Italy sports bar early Saturday morning. Police are still searching for suspects.

BEDFORD HEIGHTS, Ohio — Remembering two lives taken too soon.

"They were the last people that we expected for this to happen to," a friend said. "They made everybody smile, they made everybody laugh."

A Touch of Italy in Bedford Heights held a candlelight vigil Thursday evening for brothers Josh and Dominic Cunningham. The brothers from Solon were shot and killed outside the sports bar on Aurora Road just after 2 a.m. last Saturday.

They were there helping their father Jack DJ, a Friday night tradition for the last couple of years.

"It's sad. I lost sleep for him, and knowing Jack is a good guy, he's a good community guy, it's sad. It's tough," Keith Rogers said. "Obviously, you see the wave of support, so it shows that he was great people," Keith Rogers said.

Rogers is a partner and owner of A Touch of Italy. He said the bar would give a portion of sales Thursday night to the family, and collected donations.

"We're really trying to take the negative buzz off of us," Rogers added. "I mean, it's an unfortunate situation, and we've just got to do better as a community as a whole."

Family friends shared how the tragedy is impacting Jack, who lost his sons at the same place that he works. 

"You lose two of your boys here in your establishment where you work, how do you carry on with life?" a family friend asked.

"God knows what God is doing, and his sons did everything in life together and they left this world together," Michael Booker said. "So I know you've got to take some solace in that — [those] two are together forever, and they always have been."

Booker, the mayor of nearby Highland Hills, is also a close friend of Jack's.

As police continue to search for the gunman — releasing a photo of a person of interest — those close to the family are calling for justice.

"Jack is an amazing guy that would give you the shirt off his back," Booker said. "He didn't deserve this, his kids didn't deserve this, and we as a community need to stand behind him and get some justice for the Cunningham family."

A GoFundMe has been set up for the family, as well.

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