Local man gets life in prison for 2 shootings, one fatal

A Columbus man is facing up to life in prison after admitting to two shootings in less than three weeks in 2022 at Columbus restaurants, one of them killing an 18-year-old inside a Roosters on the city’s Northeast Side.

Jesus Castro, 20, of South Linden, pleaded guilty Tuesday to aggravated murder and felonious assault on Tuesday in Franklin County Common Pleas Court. As part of his plea agreement, county prosecuting attorneys and Castro’s defense attorney jointly recommended a sentence of life in prison with the opportunity of parole after 28 years.

Judge Noble followed the recommendation and sentenced Castro on Tuesday.

Castro admitted he fatally shot 18year-old Marshawn Davis on Feb. 18, 2022, inside a vestibule area inside a Roosters then located at 2444 E. Dublingranville Road. The restaurant later closed after a second shooting two months later.

Video from the restaurant surveillance system shows Castro pulling up in a vehicle, going in and firing one shot at Davis before fleeing. The video shows a young boy with his mother at the front counter just inside the restaurant when the shooting occurred, according to court records.

Castro also admitted to one count of felonious assault for a shooting on March. 6, 2022, in which two men were struck in front of the window of Ena’s Caribbean Kitchen on Cleveland Avenue. One man was shot multiple times in the torso and permanently impacted by his injuries while the other man was only grazed, said Franklin County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Mike Mclean.

As part of the plea agreement, prosecuting attorneys also dropped charges related to Castro crashing his vehicle into Columbus police vehicles and fleeing before officers arrested him.

Veronica K. To, Davis’ mother, asked during victim impact portion of the sentencing hearing why Castro fatally shot her son.

A letter from the second shooting victim’s sister read in court asked the same thing: why?

Castro apologized in court to his victims’ families, but never gave a reason.

Mclean told The Dispatch later that it never came out why exactly Castro committed these shootings.

According to court records filed by police in 2022, Davis and Castro were former friends and attended school together.

“I think that there was a beef or a problem between (Castro and Davis),” Mclean said, “but I don’t know what it was and there wasn’t anything that came to light.” jlaird@dispatch.com @Lairdwrites