sence will be missed more than words can express. 

The GoFundMe, which requested donations for funeral and memorial expenses, raised more than $235,500 as of Friday afternoon.

 We loved him. We are hurt. I don't think we'll ever get over this,  Irvine's Aunt, Gale Forde, told the Daily News Thursday.

 He did everything for [his kids]. He loves sports, and he introduced his children. They play basketball, they play soccer, they play volleyball,  Forde, 67, said.  He'd go to the basketball games. He was their biggest cheer-person. When they went to the game one time, they had to ban him because he was making too much noise. I mean, he was that kind of father. He was there for his children. 

A lifelong Brooklynite, Irvine made the move to the suburbs  to make his family comfortable and happy,  she said.

For years, Irvine posted videos on YouTube depicting his family life, including their transition out of the city they loved.

 This is us from city kids just moving into the burbs,  Irvine says in one post.

Irvine spoke of his hopes to build  generational wealth  for his kids in an interview posted to YouTube in 2022.

 My mother came to this country, my father came to this country for a better life for themselves and their offspring, and I gotta now take that torch and make sure that them two have something ready for them when they're adults and keep it going,  he said.

Irvine said he found adjusting to fatherhood difficult at first, but eventually fully embraced his new role.

 This new chapter, it even helped me. I just found out another friend of mine cut me off. And it doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt anymore,  he said.  Guess why? Because I got two kids to raise and pay a couple of mortgages. You kind of really get to realize what honestly matters in life. 

 Home to me is Pat. There's a lot vested in her, and I'm so grateful,  he said of his wife Patricia.

On their YouTube channel, Irvine and his wife spoke about everything from gentrification to milk alternatives, providing insight on relationships, healthy food and the benefits of raising chickens.

 We are all about healthy eating, gardening, DIY and freegan finds, music, sports and other shenanigans,  their YouTube bio reads.  Music is constantly played in our house. Koran is always in search of inspiration and motivation, which he feels he gets from music. 

Brooklyn ties

Romero, like the man he's charged with killing, also had ties to Brooklyn. He was a Narcotics detective for Brooklyn North, and his family owned a laundromat in East Flatbush.

On June 25, 2000, Romero was off-duty and had just opened up King's Laundromat on Kings Highway when crooks burst in and demanded money around 7 a.m., The News reported at the time.

Romero told them he would hand over the cash and begged them not to shoot anyone, but one of the robbers held a gun to a customer's cheek, prompting Romero to pull his service weapon and fire eight times.

The crooks shot back. One bullet hit Romero in the wrist and ricocheted, hitting him in the chest. The chest wound was reportedly not serious, but his wrist required reconstructive surgery.

Two of the robbers were each shot in the leg and arrested, while the third got away, according to The News. Following the confrontation, Romero retired from the NYPD with a 3/4 disability pension the following year, a police source said.

Romero's lawyer, Alan Abramson, said in court Thursday his client had been a  heroic police officer  who had a  sterling  record with the NYPD.

Abramson said Romero was  a responsible person,  husband and father, and is a lifelong New York resident, barring a brief time living in the Poconos. He's worked in private security jobs since leaving the NYPD.

Romero, married with four children, has been charged with manslaughter for the slaying and faces a  substantial  prison sentence if convicted, prosecutors said. Records show he is currently locked up on Rikers Island after a Manhattan criminal court judge set bail at $1 million cash at his Thursday arraignment.

Murder to manslaughter

Romero was initially charged by the NYPD with murder for Irvine's slaying, but Manhattan prosecutors later downgraded the charges to manslaughter- a move denounced by the victim's family, who questioned if he was getting special treatment because he's a retired cop.

 He purposely pointed his weapon, shot into a car, killing my nephew. And his charge was manslaughter, not murder. I can't understand that. I can't understand because if it was me or you, it would be murder,  Forde said.  I'm angry, very angry. This man was an ex-police officer, so he should know better. And he didn't. 

Police also learned that Romero had been behind the same wheel in a different crash, details of which were not immediately available.

 He has four children,  Forde said of Romero.  My nephew has two. He still can play with his four children; my nephew can't. And he should be punished to the fullest of the law. 

Forde said she wants to see the charge upgraded back to murder.

 Because that's what it was. Intentional murder. It wasn't an accident,  she said.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office declined to comment on prosecutors' reasoning for downgrading the murder charge beyond what was said in court. Under New York law, someone is guilty of first-degree manslaughter if, with the intent to cause serious physical injury, they cause someone's death.

Romero could face up to 25 years in prison if convicted.