FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - Onlookers paid their respects while reading heart felt and hand-written messages left by a heart broken community.
A private memorial was held inside a Fort Lauderdale restaurant a day after, police said, one of their employees was shot and killed by a former co-worker.
7News cameras captured dozens of people, visibly upset and heartbroken, walking into Shooters Waterfront in Fort Lauderdale, Wednesday morning.
“He was a great person, he was a positive person, he was loved. We’re all gonna miss him and it shouldn’t have happened to him,” said a man in a black shirt.
Outside the restaurant, a light pole was wrapped with pictures of 35-year-old Jordan Siddiq, as well as handwritten messages.
“Jordan’s a great guy, someone I learned a lot from my small amount of time here at Shooters,” said co-worker Carlos Murgas. “He’s worked there for at least six years or so.”
“Know that he was loved and that he was a great person. People would just migrate towards him,” said the man in a black shirt. “He made everyone’s day better, all the time, never in a bad mood.”
According to the arrest report, 33-year-old Angel Candelaria arrived at the restaurant on Tuesday afternoon and waited for Siddiq to arrive for his shift.
The two men spoke for a few minutes, then the arrest report reads, “The suspect suddenly pulled out a handgun and shot Siddiq one time. The suspect started to walk away when he turned around and shot Siddiq a second time.”
Candelaria then left the scene on a bicycle, investigators said.
“White man with an orange hoodie, black pants,” one man told 911. “He’s in the parking garage.”
The shooting was apparently caught on camera.
Siddiq later succumbed to his injuries at Broward Health Medical Center.
Fort Lauderdale Police released the 911 calls they received at the time of the shooting.
“You’re gonna be getting a lot of calls,” one man said. “Someone just opened fire at Shooters.”
“Come on, my man. You got this, my man,” one man said to the victim while speaking with 911. “Stay with us, my man. Stay with us. Listen to us. I know you can hear us. Relax, you’re with us, man.”
The motive behind the fatal shooting is still unknown.
After an hours-long search, police tracked down Candelaria to a parking garage along Federal Highway and Commercial Boulevard hiding under a car on the fifth floor.
Candelaria later appeared in bond court.
“Mr. Candelaria, sir, you’re charged in count one with premeditated murder,” said a judge.
Murgas said the suspect didn’t work at Shooters for long.
“Angel worked there for about eight or nine months,” Murgas said. “He was a busser. He hasn’t worked there in six or seven months.”
According to court documents, while in police custody, Candelaria made two phone calls from his Apple Watch. During one phone call, he told an unknown person on the other line that he was going to jail.
His apparent admission to the murder was redacted.
“Sir, I’m going to hold you, no bond,” said the judge.
Candelaria is currently being held behind bars with no bond as a community comforts each other and remembers the friend they lost.
Following the private memorial, loved ones moved the memorial to the street and welcomed others to remember their friend and co-worker.
In a text sent to 7News, Siddiq’s sister describing her brother as, “Selfless, there whenever anybody needed him no matter what he was going through. He was always there for the people in his life.”
Shooters has remained closed since Tuesday, out of respect for their loss. It is unclear when it will reopen.
Grateful Palate Catering & Events, a neighboring restaurant, is offering grief counseling to employees, friends and family of the victim on Thursday until 4 p.m.
Candelaria is facing a first-degree murder charge.
If you would like to donate to a GoFundMe set up by his family, click here.
Anyone with video of any part of the incident is being asked by detectives to upload it here.
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