Sometimes Daniel Gardner, 17, could get on the nerves of his older sister. But he was unlike other brothers because "he was always there when you were down and out about something," his sister, Precious Taylor, told msnbc in a message. When he saw that someone was upset, he asked questions and tried to make the person feel better, often by sharing a joke. "You wouldn't just laugh; you'd be dying laughing," Taylor wrote.
Daniel was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wis. He always asked for approval from his mother, who he never forgot to kiss. Daniel's loving, charismatic, and vibrant personality constantly attracted new friends. He loved mac-and-cheese, wearing a sweatshirt and baseball hat, and playing basketball--a dream cut short when he endured several hip surgeries. The teenager hoped to buy his own "fast" and "fashionable" car one day.
Daniel was shot and killed by an assailant while walking at a park with his girlfriend and her brother in Milwaukee on May 6.