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'He made you want to be better' | Friends remember 24-year-old tire shop worker who was killed New Year's Eve

Quadarius McDowell, who faces murder charges, appeared before a judge Monday.

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Tributes for Daniel Gordon are pouring in all over social media. Some, from friends-turned-family and others from blood relatives. 

Those who knew and loved Gordon, including Khameron Howell-Ell and Andrea Davis, rang in 2023 with the loss of their friend.

"He kind of made you want to be a better human when he was around... made you want to do things better for yourself as well," Howell-Ell said.

Both of them attended high school with 24-year-old Gordon.

"He made a lot of people laugh. He really was the class clown - like the school clown. Not just his own class," Davis said.

"Daniel was super sweet, super charming. He loved everyone that came in contact with him. His presence was filled the room with joy. He believed in peace. He was big on working hard and providing for those he loved," said his girlfriend, Amari Bowden.

Gordon was shot and killed on New Year's Eve, while at work at Tires Plus on DeKalb Industrial Way.

30-year-old Quadarius McDowell is facing murder charges in Gordon’s death. He appeared before a judge Monday. 

RELATED: Employee shot, killed at DeKalb car repair shop, police say

DeKalb County Police say McDowell brought his car in for service, then shot Gordon after he saw Gordon get into his car, and mistakenly thought he was trying to steal it.

"I just wish that you all got to know the Daniel that I know. He should have been the person in front of the camera speaking because that's just who he was. He didn't mind putting himself out there, and he was so vibrant and charming. This isn't what he deserved," Bowden said.

Gordon's girlfriend said although he graduated from Fort Valley State University with a Bachelor's in Science, he had a passion for working on cars. 

"That was just something he loved and he died doing something he loved," said Bowden. 

Bowden said violence was not something he stood for and losing his life in this way was a shock to his friends and family.  

“It's awful in the sense of losing somebody you knew and had memories with and then also in the sense of, he wasn't doing anything he shouldn't be doing. We go to our jobs every day, and we think we do it to make a living to survive. Somehow he went to work that day, and it was the opposite. It's really messed up," Davis added.

No bond was set for McDowell Monday. Gordon's friends say that while they are glad an arrest was made, this should not have happened in the first place.

"It's not even a wrong time wrong place situations anymore," Howell-Ell said. "It's just you have to be really careful, it's really safe and you never know what [could] happen." 

Credit: Khameron Howell-Ell

In a statement, Bridgestone Retail Operations - which owns Tires Plus - told 11Alive:

"We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of one of our employees, Daniel Gordon. Our most heartfelt sympathies are with his family, friends and colleagues during this most difficult time. Daniel was a valued member of our organization who had been with us for 8 months. He will be deeply missed."

His high school friends, who looked at Gordon as their little brother, agree.

They say he was a great football player, and a loyal friend who always made people laugh.

“He was just a real down to earth kind hearted person," Howell-Ell said. "He couldn't really do no wrong. He'd just brighten up your day. If you was having a bad day, he constantly made you laugh, constantly goofing around. He was a big goofball.”  

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