NEED TO KNOW
- Danny Lyn Kaster made a stop at a QuikTrip gas station in Phoenix on Jan. 16, where he waited in line to use the bathroom
- Deondre Franklin allegedly tried to cut the line, and when Kaster tried to intervene, Franklin allegedly shot Kaster in the head
- The next day, Franklin was arrested in connection with the murder, the Phoenix Police Department said
A man was shot and killed while waiting in a gas station line in Phoenix on Jan. 16.
Danny Lyn Kaster, 52, was found shot in the area of 4400 East Oak Street when officers responded at around 7:45 a.m. local time, the Phoenix Police Department said in a statement. He was waiting for the bathroom at the gas station when Deondre Franklin, 25, allegedly tried to cut the line, Danny’s sister, Delca Kaster, told Fox 13.
Danny attempted to intervene, but Franklin allegedly shot him at least once, Phoenix police said. The Phoenix Fire Department responded to the scene, transported Danny to the local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Homicide detectives arrived at the scene to investigate.
On Jan. 17, Franklin was arrested in connection with the murder, according to police. He was booked on one count of murder in the second degree, according to court records viewed by PEOPLE.
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“We’re all still honestly in shock,” Delca told Fox 13. “He left for work on Friday. Now he’s never coming home.”
“This was a completely senseless act of violence,” she said. “My brother was doing nothing wrong. He was not aggressive, not threatening, and not looking for trouble. He was just a man starting out his work day.”
“My brother was more than this tragedy,” Delca continued. “He was a son, a brother, a loved one who mattered deeply to his family and friends. He had a life. Relationships, his dog Max, his prized possession truck, and a future that was stolen in an instant.”
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Delca and Danny were “thicker than thieves” since childhood, she told Fox 13, adding, “Danny was literally the person that would give you the shirt off of his back.”
Another relative, named Aidan, shared how funny Danny was, and that he “always had a huge heart for animals.”
“I’m really sorry that he had to go through this and he was probably scared. And I really just really love him,” Shelby, another family member, told Fox 13.
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A GoFundMe page was created to help his family with the funeral expenses after they “suffered an unimaginable loss,” the page read.
“Danny was a beloved brother, son, uncle, friend, and member of our community. His sudden passing has left a void in the lives of everyone who knew him,” the page reads. “As Delca and the family try to process this heartbreaking loss, they are also faced with unexpected expenses that no one should have to bear alone.”
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