Family of man killed outside of Pat's King of Steaks speaks out: 'He didn't deserve this'
The family of 22-year-old David Padro Jr., who was shot and killed in South Philadelphia, spoke out Saturday.
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Another family is grieving the loss of a life cut short amid the surge of gun violence in Philadelphia.
The family of 22-year-old David Padro Jr., who was shot and killed during an argument in South Philadelphia, spoke out Saturday.
David Padro Jr. was at Pat's King of Steaks early Thursday morning when he got into an argument about a parking space, officials say. That altercation ultimately led to the 22-year-old's death.
"When somebody actually intentionally takes a life from you, it's the worst pain that anybody could ever feel, and my son is gone," said the victim's father, David Padro Sr. He says he was so proud of the man his son was becoming.
"He was a guy you could feel comfortable around, that you could actually open up to," he said.
RELATED: Police ID man charged with murder after shooting at Pat's King of Steaks in Philadelphia
Amber McShane, Padro Jr.'s girlfriend, was with him at Pat's for a cheesesteak when he was fatally wounded.
She says Padro Jr. got into a petty argument with 36-year-old Paul Burkert of Reading, Pa. Thursday just before 1:00 a.m. The argument later escalated into a fight.
She says Burkert pulled a gun and fired a fatal shot into Padro's back.
"There was no one like him, and he didn't deserve this. I just want everyone to know he wasn't aggressive like that. He wasn't a bad guy," said McShane.
Police say witnesses at the restaurant told them Burkert got into a van with a female driver and gave a detailed description of him, the van, and its tag number.
A few minutes later, authorities say a man matching the description of the shooter showed up in Center City at the corner of 5th and Market streets.
That man was later confirmed to be Burkert, officials say.
He turned himself in and has been charged with murder in this incident.
"He was more than a cousin, he was a brother. He was very humble. Like we all said, he wasn't an aggressive guy," said Padro Jr.'s close cousin, Joshua Santiago.
The victim's father says he can't understand why a gun was pulled.
"Now, my son is one of those victims in Philadelphia," he said.
The family says they're having a vigil for Padro Jr. across the street from Pat's King of Steaks on Sunday at 8:00 p.m.
