This weekend, the 106 & Park community lost a member of its team. DJ Megatron, who was shot and killed in Staten Island early Sunday morning, had worked at 106 & Park since 2007. On Monday, as the crew prepared for their daily music countdown show, Megatron was heavy on the staff’s minds and hearts.

“[Megatron] just had the ability to bring out in the best in the audience. He knew how to make everyone smile. He had the ability to make the kids dance. He was a kindred spirit,” remembers Terrence Clayton, 106 & Park’s senior audience manager, who worked closely with Megatron.

Megatron, whose real name was Corey McGriff, started his career out at radio, working as an intern at New York’s WRKS-FM. He went on to work at radio stations in Boston and Philly before earning his New York stripes as a board engineer at Hot 97. He later got his break in television when he was hired to be the in-house MC for the 106 & Park audience. For the 106 team, news of his passing hit close to home.

“He was a great co-worker and friend. He was a family man who always talked about his children. My prayers go out to his family. He will be missed,” says Jeremy Hutchins, 106 & Park’s segment producer.

In addition to his duties as MC during 106 & Park’s commercial breaks, Megatron worked on a segment called “What’s Good” with Hutchins. Hutchins described Megatron as someone who had undeniable passion for his career. “He loved hitting the streets to get opinions for our hot topics. He had a genuine love for his profession and was loved by everyone. He was only getting better as he continued to grow as an on-air TV personality,” Hutchins says.

106 & Park host Terrence J took to Twitter to express his condolences and talk about the influence that Megatron had on the popular music video countdown show. "DJ Megatron was a MAJOR part of the 106 experience. During breaks, while Roc & I are prepping. Mega WAS the show. He kept the crowd going," Terrence tweeted.

Stephanie Hodges, another producer on the show, also remembered what it was like to work with him: "Mega was the kind of person you would never catch in a bad mood. His spirit was infectious. For a show like 106, where the energy of our audience is crucial, he was a very important part of our team. We will miss him as our co-worker and as our friend."

106 & Park is dedicating its Monday night show to Megatron. For senior show writer/producer Pat Charles, who wrote the obituary to be read on-air, the task was especially difficult. “When I was writing the [voiceover], I couldn’t believe I was typing it," he said. "Just two weeks ago, I had to write one for Nate Dogg, and as a writer, these things come up a lot, but not like this. Megatron was our homie.”

(Photo: Johnny Nunez/WireImage)