DALLAS — Days after Dallas Police Officer Darron Burks was shot and killed while on patrol, the vast community of those who knew and loved him was still in shock. 

As many as a hundred people gathered Sunday at the South Central Police District along Camp Wisdom Road in Dallas to share fond memories of the beloved classmate, teammate and friend. 

Following nearly two decades as an educator, Burks shifted his career to focus on the community in another civic-minded career. When he was killed, he’d spent just eight months as a police officer for the Dallas Police Department. 

While a steady stream of people laid flowers, balloons, flags and other memorabilia to remember the fallen officer, the group gathered in front of the memorial promptly at 4:04 p.m., representing his membership within the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., to remember the fallen officer. 

Burks joined the organization as a student at Paul Quinn College and his longtime friends said he always moved with character and integrity. 

“What a lot of y’all don’t know is that he was a righteous person all the way. Everything he tried to do in life was right. He lived his life right. He served his community right. When he taught students in the classroom in the educational career field that he chose. He did that right,” said Ken Frazier, fraternity brother and friend for more than 20 years. 

While Burks made his mark in the classroom for nearly two decades as an educator, few were surprised when he became a police officer 

“That was the career field that he chose to do, serving and protecting others who could not protect themselves, serving people who were less fortunate, the underprivileged. No matter what your socioeconomic background may have been, Burks was that type of person who would fill that gap and say, ‘Hey, if you need a helping hand, I’m here to give it all free to you,’” Frazier said.

Grief and disbelief still hung in the air as people cried, prayed and laughed through more tears. However, the community of supporters and a group of friends who’d become more like family vowed to remember Burks for the purposeful life he’d lived, rather than the tragic manner in which he died. 

“I wish more people could be like him, including myself. Right. Some attributes of his life and his character. It gives us something, you know, gives us all something to strive for,” said Chastity Colomb. 

A couple that knew Burks from his time at Paul Quinn College wanted their young daughter to see and hear the legacy that he left.

Former football teammate Billy Walker laughed with tears in his eyes as he remembered their college days. 

“You couldn’t find a flaw [and] He’s definitely going to be missed, especially by me,” he said. 

His wife De’Andrea Walker Lacy, also a classmate at Paul Quinn, grasped their daughter’s hand as they looked over the memorial. 

“I just let her know that those are the type of people in life that you want to meet and those are the type of people in life that you can take advice from. You can learn from a person like Officer Burks,” she said. 

A celebration of life service is planned for September 7 at Watermark Church in Dallas.