Security guard killed at Dallas CVS remembered by friends and family

Friends and family gathered outside a downtown Dallas CVS Pharmacy Saturday to remember the life of a security guard shot and killed during a struggle between suspected shoplifters.

What they're saying:

Anthony Egeonu's friends, family and some strangers gathered outside the store where he worked to remember him.

Candles were lit to remember a man who was a light in life and some called on the community to come together to prevent violence like this from happening again.

Egeonu's wife and daughters shared special memories with the crowd.

"Please make this a celebration of life, because Anthony was full of life," Octavia Egeonu, his wife, said.

Anthony Egeonu leaves behind two daughters, 15 and 10 years old, and a 4-year-old son.

"In honor of my dad, I will be happy to release these balloons and light these candles, because he wasn't my dad, he was my father, and he was my daddy," Ameri Egeonu said. "And I loved him very much."

His wife said he would be remembered as a person who never met a stranger.

"He was the life of the party, party didn’t get started until he came, you know," Octavia Egeonu said. "And he was gonna dance, laugh, crack jokes, he was gonna do it all."

His cousin, Jermain Pipkins, encouraged the crowd to come together.

"We have to make sure his life was not in vain, right? As we think about the community, as we think about the change that is needed, it’s up to us, those that are here on this side of this Earth to be a part of that change," Pipkins said.

The backstory:

Dallas police said on Jan. 24, a 13-year-old and a 15-year-old started shoplifting inside the store.

When the 13-year-old tried to escape, a struggle started between the teenager and Egeonu.

Police said the 13-year-old pulled out a gun and fired multiple times before leaving with the 15-year-old in a white Kia.

Both were arrested the next day and face capital murder charges.

Earlier this week, there was a community meeting with a discussion about safety in the downtown area.

At the meeting, the interim Dallas police chief shared that the two juveniles in custody are not from the Dallas area and that the police are investigating if they're connected to other crimes.

Egeonu's family says there will be a viewing Friday followed by his funeral Saturday at 11 a.m. at Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship Church.

The Source: Information in this article comes from Dallas Police and FOX4 interviews.

Downtown DallasCrime and Public Safety