Taylorsville residents grieve missing man shot over the weekend
Mar 19, 2024, 11:00 PM | Updated: Mar 20, 2024, 11:43 am
Taylorsville residents come together to grieve Alex Franco, who was shot over the weekend. (Ray Boone, KSL TV)
(Ray Boone, KSL TV)
TAYLORSVILLE — The community of Taylorsville is grieving the tragic death of 21-year-old Alex Franco, who was shot by a teenager over the weekend. Family and friends are struggling to come to terms with the loss of a young man described as an outdoor enthusiast, animal lover, and someone with a heart of gold.
It happened Sunday afternoon in Franco’s front yard. According to a witness, he was meeting with the three teens when the situation turned violent.
His girlfriend, who was present at the time, recounts the horrifying moment when the shots rang out, leaving Franco mortally wounded as the assailants fled the scene.
Speaking about her brother, Nicole Tolman tells KSLTV, “Alex was a sweet kid, he had the biggest heart. He would sacrifice anything for anybody.”
Related Reading: Taylorsville man believed to have been abducted found dead, two teens arrested
Kaylie Sage, a lifelong friend of the family, echoes these sentiments, adding, “There’s not one thing that you can pinpoint that you’ll miss about him. It’s everything.”
“Just the one that comes in the room and just brightens up the whole place,” says Shellie Kilpatrick, Franco’s grandmother, at a candlelight vigil.
Lt. Aaron Cheshire of the Taylorsville Police Department says Franco willingly entered the car before the fatal encounter occurred. Investigators found Franco’s body in the desert west of Eagle Mountain. It appears he died from a single gunshot wound.
Read more from KSL TV’s Debbie Worthen here.
