Taylorsville residents grieve missing man shot over the weekend

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TAYLORSVILLE — The community of Taylorsville is grieving the 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, Franco was meeting with three teens when the situation turned violent. Police say one of them shot Franco before speeding off with Franco in the car.

His girlfriend, who was present at the time, recounts the horrifying moment when a gunshot rang out, leaving Franco mortally wounded as the assailants fled the scene.

Speaking about her brother, Nicole Tolman told KSL-TV, "Alex was a sweet kid. He had the biggest heart. He would sacrifice anything for anybody."

Kaylie Sage, a lifelong friend of the family, echoed 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," said Shellie Kilpatrick, Franco's grandmother, at a candlelight vigil.

Taylorsville Police Lt. Aaron Cheshire said Franco willingly entered a 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.

Cheshire announced that two juveniles have been detained in connection with the incident and are facing felony charges. However, authorities have yet to disclose a possible motive behind the tragic shooting.

Police say Alex Franco, 21, was kidnapped from his Kearns neighborhood near 3800 West and 5700 South on Sunday and later found dead. Family and friends mourned their loss Tuesday at a vigil in his honor, where they brought photos of Franco, including this one. (Photo: Ray Boone, KSL-TV)

Reflecting on Franco's life, his girlfriend Alyssa Henry emphasized his deep love for his family, especially his siblings, mother, aunt, and grandmother.

"I don't want to believe it still," Henry said. "I just wish that it was a dream, and he was gonna come home."

The question remains whether the teens involved will be tried as adults in this case.

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Debbie Worthen

Debbie Worthen brings nearly two decades of award-winning journalism experience to the KSL Newsroom and is thrilled be working for Utah’s legacy news organization. She anchors KSL 5 News at 4 and Live at 5 with Mike Headrick and reports for KSL 5 News at 10pm. There are countless things Debbie enjoys about working in local news, but storytelling is at the top of the list. Whether it’s meeting the remarkable people of Utah as they do amazing things, informing viewers of critical breaking news and issues that impact their communities or reporting on daily assignments like weather and traffic, Debbie is honored to be the one trusted to tell Utahn’s stories. She believes journalistic integrity and a commitment to accuracy have never been more important than they are now. Debbie started her career as a writer, producer and traffic reporter while finishing her communications degree at The University of Utah before making the jump to a full-time on-air position. (Although you could say she caught the news “bug” at KOLT-News at Cottonwood High School.) After several moves across the country, Debbie and her husband, Brandon Gilbert, moved to Utah to start their family. They love everything Utah has to offer and can’t imagine living anywhere else. Outside the office, Debbie and her family are advocates for at-risk youth and have fostered several children through Utah Foster Care. As a family they enjoy movie nights in the basement, trying new recipes and, a few times a year, traveling to exotic locations!