Julio Angel Osife Diaz had spent the night celebrating his 22nd birthday with music, dancing and people he loved. Hours later, he was fatally shot at a Phoenix gas station.
Phoenix police responded around 2:24 a.m. July 18 to a business near 16th Street and Thomas Road. They found Diaz suffering from a gunshot, according to a police statement.
He was taken to a hospital, where he died.
Police said a man involved in the shooting approached officers at the scene and admitted he was involved. Investigators said the two men did not know each other before the shooting.
Jaheime Rashard Brown, 21, was indicted July 27 on one count of second-degree murder.
A GoFundMe created for Diaz’s family describes him as a protective older brother and a deeply loved
son, grandson and friend.
His mother wrote that Diaz and his friends had stopped for gas while heading home from his birthday celebration. She said a confrontation began after two people approached Diaz’s girlfriend and friends.
According to the fundraiser, Diaz tried to calm the situation and told one of the men to leave the group alone. His mother said he was then shot several times. She also wrote that Diaz’s girlfriend tried to shield him after he fell.
Those details come from the family’s account and were not included in the public statement released by Phoenix police.
Diaz was the oldest of seven children and leaves behind five sisters, one brother, his mother, grandmother and a large group of extended family and friends.
“No family should ever have to celebrate a birthday one day then start planning a funeral hours later,” his mother wrote.
The fundraiser is collecting money for funeral expenses and asking people to help keep Diaz’s memory alive.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix man killed hours after celebrating 22nd birthday
