A Greensboro officer shot and killed inside a grocery store two days before Christmas was remembered at a funeral Thursday afternoon.
Michael Horan was responding to a call about a man with a gun inside the Food Lion on Lawndale Drive when the Dec. 23 shooting happened, police said. It was at about 11 a.m.
“We come with our grief and our loss,” said Pastor Don Miller. “We come even with anger.”
"Mike gave his life for me, for you," Miller said. "I could have easily been in that place that day."
"Mike stood in my place, in our place. Mike answered that call for us," he said at the funeral.
Before Miller spoke, the Avett Brothers, some of North Carolina's most famous musicians, opened the ceremony with their rendition of the hymn "In the Garden."
Related: Man accused of killing Greensboro police officer in grocery store shooting denied bond
Hundreds of law enforcement officers and community members gathered to celebrate Horan. He was remembered for his love for his his family, sports and being near the water.
"Horan was our unofficial supervisor, at least he tried to be," said Officer Tiesha Mercer, who graduated the police academy with Horan, who was known as the "old man" in the class. They worked closely together after becoming police officers.
"Horan was the epitome of what it meant to have a partner and a squad mate," she said.
Police charged Tarell Isaac McMillian, 34, with first-degree murder in Horan's killing. McMillian was arrested more than 100 miles away, on the Duplin-Sampson county line, after a high-speed chase. If convicted on the first-degree murder charge, he faces the death penalty or life in prison without parole.
Remembering Horan
Friends and colleagues remembered Horan as a dedicated and professional public servant. He made his career in service, as a lifeguard, in the Coast Guard and as a police officer.
"He didn't just tell stories, he lived them," said longtime friend Nicole Freiler.
"His family was his greatest joy and biggest achievement," she said. "Share your stories, swap memories, and smile through the tears."
"Let's all be someone's Mike," Freiler said.
Dustin Daniels, with the U.S. Coast Guard, remembered Horan for his good humor and dedication to his work.
"Here in Fort Macon, Mike was my right-hand man," he said. "No matter what I asked Mike to do, he was going to get it done, but not without complaining about it."
"He was the tip of the spear, a guy who always led from the front," Daniels said. "With his quick wit and charm, he could solve problems effortlessly."
"Of all the things Michael Horan was good at, fishing was not one of them," Daniels said jokingly. "I used to tell him, 'These North Carolina fish refuse to be caught by a Jersey boy.'"
Tributes have been coming in since the day he was killed, from Greensboro and across the state.
"He had an outstanding reputation inside the department and out in the community," Assistant Chief MJ Harris said of Horan before the funeral. "Together, we are mourning Officer Horan."
Greensboro Police Officer Tiffany Rahenkamp worked closely with Horan and described him as someone who thrived at everything he did and loved his family.
Horan was recently married and is survived by his daughter, widow, sister, stepson, stepsister, parents and other family members.
“There's children now that had to go through Christmas without their father. There's a wife that had to go through Christmas in the New Year without their husband. There's a mom who's going to have to bury their son. And that's just not, that's not how life should be,” Rahenkamp said.
Related: 'A true hero': Fellow Greensboro officer remembers officer Michael Horan
Greensboro police took Horan's body to a funeral home in the Triad on Dec. 27. The procession went from the medical examiner's office in Raleigh to Hanes Lineberry Funeral Home in Greenboro.
First responders formed the procession that traveled along Interstate 40, where overpasses were adorned with large American flags.
Related: Procession takes fallen Greensboro officer from Raleigh to funeral home
Flags also hung from firetruck ladders along the procession's route.
"We thank Officer Horan for his service to law enforcement, the City of Greensboro, and his community," Greensboro police said following the procession. "We are proud of him for wearing the badge (#541) and representing this department."