On August 24, 2023, at approximately 5:11 p.m., Columbus Police officers responded to reports of a shooting at the AutoZone store located at 8338 Sancus Boulevard, near Polaris Fashion Place in Columbus, Ohio. Upon arrival, they discovered 43-year-old Alejandro Fajardo-Torres suffering from gunshot wounds. Despite immediate medical attention, Fajardo-Torres was pronounced dead at the scene.
An 18-year-old store employee also sustained injuries from blunt-force trauma during the incident and was transported to a local hospital in stable condition.
Investigations revealed that Fajardo-Torres, a customer at the store and a concealed carry permit holder, intervened during an armed robbery attempt by three individuals. The assailants had entered the store, assaulted the employee, and were in the process of robbing the establishment when Fajardo-Torres attempted to assist. Tragically, he was shot during the confrontation.
The suspects, identified as 22-year-old Zackeyis Davis, 28-year-old Darius Wynn, and 27-year-old Anthony Blakely, were later apprehended and charged in connection with the crime. Davis, who fired the fatal shot, pleaded guilty to aggravated murder and attempted murder in June 2024 and was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 46 years. Wynn pleaded guilty to murder, aggravated robbery, and engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, receiving a sentence of 40 years to life in prison. Blakely pleaded guilty to murder, felonious assault, and engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for 33 years.
Further investigations linked the trio to a series of armed robberies targeting auto parts stores and other businesses in Franklin and Delaware counties during the summer of 2023. Their criminal activities included multiple robberies at Los Mariachis restaurants and other AutoZone locations. The arrests and subsequent convictions brought some measure of justice to the family of Fajardo-Torres, who was remembered as a loving father and a hero for his selfless actions during the tragic event.
