Demario and Demacio Bailey, close-knit identical twins known within their South Side charter school community as the “Bailey boys,” were raised in a home that prioritized schooling and safety. A member of the school PTA and always on top of their grades, the boys’ mother insisted on escorting them to and from Johnson College Prep in Englewood, one of the city’s toughest neighborhoods.

But like most 15-year-olds, Demario and Demacio were eager for more freedom. So their mother recently began allowing them to get around more on their own, the boys’ grandmother, Bernice Fitzpatrick, told the Tribune. Tragedy struck the family Saturday afternoon, when Demario was shot and killed as he tried to defend his brother during an armed robbery while the boys were walking just a few blocks from their school.