Deland, Florida - Tom Walsh was in love with the American dream.
He was trying to make a better life for himself and his 12-year-old little girl, Kira.
The Irish immigrant moved to the U.S. and was quickly drawn to the charm of Deland, a small town where restaurants like the MainStreet Grill are a mainstay.
It is a place where everyone knows your name, residents say, the kind of place Tom felt at home.
He rose to ranks of manager and loved it. The locals and patrons alike considered him one of their own.
"I miss him so much. I want to say I'm sorry to his family," sobbed the restaurant owner, Phil Martin. Martin spoke at a press conference on Thursday.
Just as Tom had done dozens of times before, he was working late and was ready to close the restaurant in the heart of downtown Deland.
He had no way of knowing that the man who walked through the door late that night would pull out a gun.
Police say that man was 29-year-old James Seagraves.
Tom was defenseless.
The father who is described by friends as harmless and kind was found shot to death on the floor. His twelve year old daughter is now left behind.
Hundreds of people from Deland mourned Tom's death at a recent funeral.
In fact, his family in Ireland was there in spirit. They watched the ceremony as it was streamed live on the internet.
It is indeed a senseless crime, say friends, in a small town, a place where Tom was raising his daughter and living the American dream.
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