AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) – The family of a Helms College student who was tragically killed is speaking out a week after the incident occurred in the school’s parking lot.

Martin Gordon, 30, was pursuing a career as an HVAC technician when he was fatally stabbed outside the college late last Monday evening.

Darrell Mills, Gordon’s older brother, shared his feelings with NewsChannel 6, expressing how he hopes his younger brother will be remembered.

“Honestly, I haven’t been able to grieve properly because I still don’t understand why this happened,” Mills said.

He recounted the events of last Monday night when he arrived and received the devastating news from first responders.

“She examined him and said, ‘Yes sir, he’s gone.’ When I got there, I just found him lying in the street, and… yeah,” he reflected.

Mills says he dropped Gordon off at Helms College for class, which was in session Monday night despite Columbus Day, a federal holiday.

Gordon was planning to get a ride back home from a classmate, but had to change plans.

“He sent me a text back saying I missed him, and I’m going to need you to come get me because I’m here by myself,” said Mills. “That was around 10:40, and I arrived on the scene around 11:05.”

When Mills arrived, he immediately rushed to help his brother, calling 9-1-1 as soon as he could.

“When I spoke to the young lady with 9-1-1, she wanted me to flip him on his back to do chest compressions, but that’s when I noticed his injuries. At that point, I kind of knew he was gone,” he said.

Mills says the family is heartbroken, but they haven’t been able to properly grieve because they still don’t know who killed his little brother. 

“I know the attacker of my brother was random. My brother doesn’t know anyone out there on Washington Road. I drop him off, I pick him up,” he said. “Knowing that it happened the way that it did—and still to this day we don’t know who this individual is—there’s no closure for us. You know what I mean?”

Gordon died just 10 months after he moved to the Augusta area from Maryland.

His older brother first got to the CSRA in 2022, joining Fort Gordon after previously serving in the military for 20 years.

“I felt that where he was in life—I felt that he could be so much more,” said Mills. “I’ve always had conversations with my brother about possibilities. A lot of times he would get down on himself, so I said you know what, let’s try something different. So, we tracked across the country during the Winter (because it was in January, snowstorms and all), to finally get here.”

He says Martin loved video games, anime television like Dragon Ball Z, and was a big family man.

Gordon was a single father of two young children, leaving behind an 8-year-old daughter and 6-year-old son.

Mills says he radiated positivity. 

“If we saw something, he would be like ah man, that’s messed up, I wish I could help. That’s just how he thought, consistently. He was kind, he was a kind guy,” the brother added.

Gordon was also a devoted student at Helms College, where he started just 4 months ago to be an HVAC technician.

The school says they’ve now increased security measures with off-duty police officers to patrol the area day and night.

In a statement, a spokesperson says:

“We have appointed off-duty police officers and increased the hours of our security specialist.  They will patrol our campus from 7:00 am to midnight, Monday through Friday, and Saturday evening until midnight. This builds on our existing safety measures: lighting, security cameras, badge-controlled building access, and emergency procedures.   We are continuing to work closely with the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office to bring to justice the person responsible for this crime.”

Mills leaves this message for the surrounding community. 

“If you have family, tell them that you love them. I wish I would have told my brother I loved him more. I know he knew I was proud of him, but I wish I would have said it more,” said Mills.

The Sheriff’s Office is still looking for the suspect that stabbed Gordon, so you’re encouraged to contact them if you have any information on this case. 

The family is in town this week to celebrate his life, and they’re working to organize a small funeral set for this Wednesday.

Mills is also encouraging any community members interested to contribute to the family’s GoFundMe, which can be found by clicking here.