Would you sacrifice your life to protect your family? For one 8-year-old Virginia boy, the answer to that question was crystal clear. The young boy was murdered attempting to protect his 12-year-old sister as she was being sexually assaulted.

According to NBC News, the incidents took place Thursday on some railroad tracks located on the 200 block of Brandon Road in South Richmond, just a stone's throw away from the siblings' home. Police were called to the scene at 6:30 p.m. and arrived as quickly as possible. Authorities identified a male teenager as the suspect and booked him. The suspect is being evaluated by doctors at Tucker Pavilion at Chippenham Medical Center.

The cause of the boy's death was blunt force trauma. The suspect reportedly used a brick to kill the boy. The suspect also threatened the girl and got her to incorrectly tell police that he was white; the suspect is a black male teenager.

The victims' friends and family are distraught over the entire incident and immediately got together to hold a vigil.

NBC 12 Reporter Kelly Avellino Tweeted about an impromptu memorial service: "Family and loved ones pray after 9-year-old is killed, sister raped, in Southside #nbc12 #rva."

Avellino, and others initially reporting on this story, had incorrectly stated the boys age as 9 and also stated that the sister was 11 years old.

One relative of the deceased boy and injured girl spoke to local NBC news affiliate WWBT on condition on anonymity.

"Nobody expects something like this to happen to the babies in their family," the boy's family said

Tracy Lightsey, a neighbor of the deceased spoke with the Richmond Times-Dispatch about the inseparable bond the brother and sister had.

"He felt like he was his sister's protector," Lightsey remakes. "He was his sister's keeper till his death."