The family of Daniel Hollis released a statement on Friday expressing gratitude to the community after the sophomore’s death on Wednesday.

“It has become abundantly clear to us that Dan not only made the world brighter for his friends and family, but also for those he encountered,” Hollis’ mother, Jennifer Kelly, wrote in a journal entry on caringbridge.org. 

Hollis died on Wednesday afternoon after receiving fatal head injuries at 1:30 a.m. Saturday in an altercation that the Boston Police Department has since ruled a homicide. 

“We stand in full support of the Boston Police Department as they continue their investigation into this matter,” Kelly wrote in Friday’s journal entry. “We are confident they will find the individuals responsible for this tragic act of violence and bring them to justice.”

According to the website, Hollis’ donated organs went to three separate people on Thursday, saving their lives.

“We pray for a speedy recovery and long, prosperous life for the recipients and their families,” Kelly wrote. “May they use his gift to make the world a better place.”

The family also asked that members of the media refrain from contacting Hollis’ friends and family.

“We wish to focus our energy on celebrating his life and helping one another learn to live in a world with a little less sunshine,” Kelly wrote.