GREENSBORO, N.C. (WBTV) - A fundraiser has been set up for anyone wishing to help the family of a Greensboro police officer who was killed in the line of duty just two days before Christmas.
On Monday, Dec. 23, Officer Michael Horan responded to a call about an armed man inside a Food Lion when the suspect shot him.
Within hours of the shooting, the suspect, Tarell Isaac McMillian, was arrested after a car chase ended in Duplin County, near the North Carolina coast. He is charged with first-degree murder and other crimes.
"Together we are mourning Officer Horan, who was a husband, a father, a son, a friend, and much more to his family," Greensboro Assistant Chief MJ Harris said after the shooting. "He was an excellent officer. He had an outstanding reputation inside the department and in the community."
In the days since Horan lost his life, more than $100,000 has been donated to help his family. Those wishing to give can do so here. Money can also be donated by calling Watch Operations at 336-373-2287.
According to the "Help a Hero" donation link, Horan had been with the Greensboro Police Department since September 2017, and in 2019 received a lifesaving award after rescuing a man and his son from drowning.
Prior to his time with Greensboro police, Horan served in the United States Coast Guard and as a beach patrol officer in New Jersey.
"The loss of a man like Michael Horan rips a hole in the hearts of his family, squad mates, friends, and community," the fundraiser read in part. "He will not be present with his family at this time of year due to a senseless killing. The city lost an excellent officer, the Coast Guard lost a coast guardsman, but most importantly, his children lost a father, a wife lost a husband, and a family lost a pillar of strength. Our hearts are with his family during this time."
Less than a year before Horan's death, the Greensboro Police Department lost another officer when Sgt. Philip Dale Nix was shot and killed on Dec. 30, 2023. Nix was off duty when he intervened with a gas station crime.