Daniel Thomas Gormley, 53, fatally shot

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Dallas Restaurant Manager Fatally Shot on DART Train After Birthday Celebration

DALLAS (DailyKenn.com) — Daniel Thomas Gormley, a 53-year-old U.S. Marine Corps veteran and longtime restaurant manager, was fatally shot aboard a Dallas Area Rapid Transit train on Sept. 29, 2025, authorities said, marking the second deadly shooting on the city's public transit system in a week.

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Gormley, who had managed Po' Melvin's in Irving for five years, was returning home after celebrating his birthday in Deep Ellum when an argument escalated into gunfire near Market Center Station in the Stemmons Corridor, according to witnesses and police reports. The unarmed victim was found lying in a train vestibule with multiple gunshot wounds to the chest around 10:15 p.m. and was pronounced dead at the scene despite efforts by first responders.

A DART rail operator who witnessed the incident told investigators that Gormley had been telling another man to leave the train car when the suspect pulled out a handgun and fired three times, striking him. The shooter, later identified as 27-year-old Christopher Akins, fled the scene but was apprehended nearby after matching the operator's description. Akins, who donned a Jason-style hockey mask from the "Friday the 13th" films before sitting near Gormley, was arrested on a murder charge and booked into Dallas County Jail, court records show. It remained unclear whether the two men knew each other or the exact nature of their dispute.

Colleagues at Po' Melvin's described Gormley as a dependable, non-confrontational "country boy" from Odessa, West Texas, who was beloved by staff and patrons alike. "He was the kind of guy that everybody got along with," said owner Melvin LeMane. "He was always here early, would bring in donuts for the staff out of his own pocket. He was a good man, a great employee." Gormley had no local family, leaving friends and coworkers to grapple with the sudden loss and frustrations over limited details from investigators.

The shooting highlighted ongoing concerns about rising crime on DART, with officials noting it as an "extremely rare" but devastating event amid calls for better transit safety data. Just days later, on Oct. 5, another fatal shooting occurred at Pearl Station in downtown Dallas, where 27-year-old Harrington Andrew Hurdle was arrested in connection with the death of a separate victim.

A GoFundMe fundraiser for Gormley's funeral expenses described him as a victim of "senseless violence" taken "far too soon," drawing condolences from the community. DART Police Chief Charles Cato emphasized the agency's commitment to addressing such incidents seriously.

DART crime statistics

2025 (YTD through Q3): Group A offenses per 100,000 riders doubled from 3.4 in January to 6.81 in June, with assaults, robberies, and drug crimes leading. Overall crime is up nearly 44% year-over-year, though excluding drug offenses, it would have declined 6%. Aggravated assaults fell 42% in some periods, but aggravated robberies rose 120% (from 5 to 11 incidents). Two homicides in September-October marked the system's deadliest week in recent memory.