Matt Saturley (Courtesy photo)

"He was a terrific young man and this is a real tragedy," said Bromfield School Associate Principal Scott Hoffman about Matthew (Matt) Saturley, a 1998 Bromfield graduate who was killed New Year's Day in a suburb of San Diego.

Saturley, 31, died of multiple gunshot wounds early New Year's Day at a home in Coronado, Calif., in what the San Diego police called a triple murder and a suicide, according to a report in the San Diego Union-Tribune. According to multiple news reports, police responded to a 911 call from someone who heard shots and found Saturley, 31, David Reis, 25, and Reis's sister Elizabeth Reis, 24, dead from gunshots. Reis's roommate, John Reeves, 25, was found on the third floor of the apartment, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot to the head, according to investigators.

Saturley lived in Chula Vista, a southern San Diego suburb, with his wife, Alana Renfro, a daughter, 5, and a stepson, 7. Under "bragging rights" in his Google Plus profile, Saturley listed "married and blessed with two incredible children." He was completing a master's degree in financial analysis and working as a technical editor, according to the profile.

Reeves and David Reis were Navy pilots training to fly F/A-18 fighter jets at the Miramar Air Station. The four had been out earlier, New Year's Eve, and then gone to the apartment shared by David Reis, Reeves, and another Navy pilot who was away. There were no reported eyewitnesses, and no motive for the shootings has been given by authorities, according to reports in the Union-Tribune.

"Those of us who were fortunate enough to know Matt knew him as a loving father and as kind a person as you could meet," his pastor, Jeff Mears, said in a statement to the Coronado Patch.

Bromfield's 1998 yearbook photographs show Saturley as a tall young man with an open countenance.

"Such a respectful, well-mannered student who was not only a good athlete, but one who also helped his teammates do well," said Hoffman, who was Saturley's basketball coach, beginning with basketball camp in fifth grade. "Matt loved basketball and was willing to work extremely hard."

When Saturley was a senior, the Bromfield basketball team won the league competition, and all five of the starting lineup, including Saturley, were selected as basketball all-stars, Hoffman said.

A celebration of Saturley's life was held Sunday, Jan. 8, in New Hampshire. In thoughts Chris Callagy put together for the occasion, Callagy remembered his "best friend from elementary school through high school."

"He was so loving, and kind to everyone. A gentle giant or big teddy bear is a good way to describe this 6-foot 5-inch family man. In high school he played soccer, basketball, and golf. He was a National Honor Society member and scored nearly a perfect score on the math SAT," said Callagy.

"He was always the smartest player on the team, but he truly excelled in basketball. He was an unselfish player who kicked it out to the guards for three pointers (me!), a team-first type of guy, and one you could always count on, in and out of the locker room," Callagy said. "I would be hard-pressed to find anyone who could say a negative thing about Matt."

"You never felt awkward at the Saturley household, you always felt at home. It was the place to be, because the entire family was so sweet and receptive, extremely generous and kind," Callagy said.

"He gave a tremendously poignant speech about his father at the funeral. He certainly could captivate an audience. Matt would be proud to know how much like his good-hearted father he was. It makes me happy to think that the two of them are together now – maybe playing some heavenly golf or on the slopes skiing in the clouds," said Callagy.

The Saturleys—Matt, his younger sister Elizabeth, and his parents Joyce and Robert (Bob)—lived in Harvard on Westcott Road from 1987 to 2000. His parents later moved to Newbury, New Hampshire, where his father died last June, after he was hit by a car while biking. (See Harvard Press, June 17, 2011.)

"We lost Matt's Dad in June. He was a victim of negligent vehicular homicide. To have this happen is just completely overwhelming," Joyce Saturley said in an NBC San Diego interview.