The man who was fatally shot at a Wilmington pizza restaurant while trying to stop a fight over the weekend had been celebrating his birthday with family and friends.
Loved ones of 26-year-old Andres Castellano gathered Monday outside Red West Pizza for a vigil honoring the young father. Friends and family placed candles and balloons outside the restaurant in his memory.
“He was a great man. He didn’t deserve this at all,” said Michelle Costa, who knew Castellano.
Police reported the shooting just before 6 p.m. Saturday at Red West Pizza after gunfire erupted following a fight between two women. Castellano stepped in to break up the altercation when he and another man were hit by bullets.
Paramedics rushed both victims to a nearby hospital, where Castellano later died from his injuries. The second victim remains in stable condition.
“I tried to help him. I tried my best,” Costa said, explaining how quickly the violence escalated.
During the vigil, family and friends shared prayers and remembered the qualities they loved most about him.
“Every time he walks in the room, he lights up the room,” Costa said. “He makes everybody smile, laugh, cry sometimes, but out of being funny. He was a good man.”
Castellano is survived by his parents and his 5-year-old daughter.
Police said officers arrested a suspect believed to be the gunman, but authorities have not released details about the arrest or identified the individual.