‘Just a test drive:’ Co-workers remember tire shop employee who police say was killed by customer

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Channel 2 Action News learned more about a mechanic who was killed while test-driving a customer’s car in Decatur.

Daniel Gordon, 24, was shot and killed on the job at Tires Plus Saturday afternoon after police say a customer mistook him for someone who was trying to steal his car.

On Monday afternoon, the shooter, 30-year-old Quandarious McDowell, was denied bond. Police said McDowell dropped his car off for brake work around 1:30 p.m. Sunday and then shot Gordon when he returned to pick up the car.

He’s been charged with malice murder.

Channel 2′s Dave Huddleston talked to co-workers Monday, who said they didn’t understand how McDowell could make a mistake like that.

“I don’t understand,” John Claude Edwards said. “He saw him in uniform. He’s got his bag with the work order in it and everything to test-drive the vehicle. Why would you think anything different? It was a test drive.”

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On Sunday, friends left flowers at the spot where Gordon died and coworkers who showed up sat down in tears trying to make sense of this.

“We shouldn’t have to go through this. It’s just a test drive for him to get killed, a young brother,” Edwards said. “I mean just ambitious, you know just really ambitious. He wanted to be the greatest tech there is always smiling always just happy we joke all the time in the back room.”

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McDowell didn’t say anything during his court appearance Monday. He will remain behind bars until the case is moved to superior court.

Meanwhile ,the store had a message on the front door saying that they were temporarily closed.

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