The younger brother of slain NYPD officer Randolph Holder said Thursday that his elder sibling was like a mentor to him as they grew up in Guyana.
Kelon Noel said he was still shocked by the death of his 33-year-old brother, who was shot in the head while responding to reports of gunfire in East Harlem.
"He was like a brother, father, mentor, everything," Noel told NewsNow and Capitol News in an interview. "He would always take care of me."
The two brothers were the only children in their family and were very close. The death of their mother when Noel was 7 or 8 only deepened that bond.
Their father, Randolph Holder Sr., who spoke Wednesday about his son, had left for America at that point, leaving the two boys back in Guyana with family.
"It was just me and him," Noel said. "He was everything to me."
Noel said that he spoke to his brother by phone on Sunday. Holder told him that everything was going well in New York City and that he was alright. He was shot Tuesday night.
"His close friend called me and he said, 'Randolph just got shot in the line of duty,'" Noel said.
Noel was hopeful after he heard that his brother was in critical but stable condition.
"I started praying he could pull through," Noel said.
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A few minutes later he found out that his brother had died.
Recently, Noel had heard that Holder was planning to take time off to visit Guyana. He had met Noel's oldest daughter before but had never met his youngest daughter, who was born last September. Holder was a "family person" who always called Guyana to check how everyone was doing there.
Now, Noel says he can't find words to describe the loss he is feeling.
"Everybody is very horrified and traumatized," he said. "It's too much."
Tyrone Howard, a 30-year-old wanted criminal with more than a dozen prior arrests, mostly for drug offenses, and 12 prior incarcerations allegedly shot Holder.
Howard, also known as "Peanut," had three current warrants out for his arrest, including one on a second-degree assault charge, according to law enforcement sources. Authorities say they were looking for him in connection with a Sept. 1 shooting at the East River Houses. Police sources call Howard a "major drug player" and say he knew police were looking for him.
