At Po' Melvin's in Irving, the restaurant felt a little dimmer on Wednesday.

Daniel Gormley, 53, had managed the restaurant for the past five years. Owner Melvin LeMane said he's known Gormley since the mid-1990s.

"Most of the time, he was behind the bar. He would bartend and manage at the same time," LeMane said. "He was always very dependable, very hospitable. He was a great employee. He was always here early. He would bring in donuts for the staff, paid out of his own pocket. He was a good man, good, good employee."

Birthday celebration ends in tragedy

On Monday night, the man LeMane called the "backbone" of Po' Melvin's was shot and killed while riding a DART train near Market Center Station. LeMane said Gormley had been out celebrating his birthday, which was the day before.

"He did the right thing, he took a DART train, because then he would be drinking, he went downtown at Deep Ellum, and then he's on his way back at 10 o'clock at night, and…his life was snuffed out of him, it's so sad," LeMane said.

Police detail fatal confrontation

According to an arrest affidavit, police said Gormley was shot three times by 27-year-old Christopher Akins. A DART rail operator told investigators he saw Gormley and Akins get into a verbal argument on the train. The operator said Gormley told Akins to get off the train — and moments later, Akins shot him.

Gormley was found lying near the entrance of the train car. He died at the scene.

Transit agency confirms fatal shooting

DART officials did not release information about the shooting until CBS News Texas began asking questions. On Wednesday, the agency confirmed the fatal incident.

"This is devastating to the restaurant and devastating to the community," LeMane said. "I mean, everybody loved Daniel, and people really liked him, all the customers really loved him, and of course, the staff did as well, so we don't know where we're going from here."

Restaurant family grieves and remembers

LeMane said Gormley didn't have any local family and that it's been frustrating trying to learn more about what happened. As the Po' Melvin's service bar now sits empty, so does the space Gormley once filled.

"I'm just so grateful that Daniel was part of our restaurant for so many years," LeMane said. "I mean, he was part of the brand, so he is definitely going to be missed."

In a statement, DART said: "Incidents like the one that occurred earlier this week are both extremely rare and are taken very seriously. DART police remain deeply committed to the safety of our riders, employees, and the communities we serve."