Security guard killed in Doral bar shooting was an FIU student and future police officer
A security guard killed in a shooting at a CityPlace Doral bar was set to graduate from Florida International University and wanted to become a police officer, according to his family and friends.
George Alejandro Castellanos, 23, intervened in a dispute at Martini Bar at CityPlace Doral, 3450 NW 83rd Ave., around 3:30 a.m. Saturday when a gunman shot him to death, Miami-Dade police said.
Immediately after, two uniformed Doral police officers arrived. In a shootout with the officers, suspect 37-year-old Jamal Wayne Wood was killed, police said.
A police officer and six bystanders were also wounded and taken to several hospitals, authorities said.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue took the officer in stable condition to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center and a bystander was transported to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital’s trauma center in critical condition, police said. The other bystanders were also hospitalized in stable condition.
Castellanos and Wood died at the bar, Miami-Dade police said, adding that “it is too early to determine how the bystanders were injured.”
In an online fundraiser, family and friends said Castellanos was a beloved son, brother and a father to a 1-year-old girl.
In a month, Castellanos would have graduated from Florida International University with a degree in biological science and a minor in criminal justice.
FIU will award Castellano’s degree to his family at the university’s Spring 2024 graduation ceremony in May, FIU spokeswoman Madeline Baró told the Miami Herald.
“George was a hard-working and dedicated student, and we hope that the awarding of the degree will be a reminder to all of those who know and love him of his commitment to higher education, the promise of a bright future, and his perseverance toward achieving his goals and dreams,” Baró said in an email.
Castellanos was also “making the proper procedures” to become a police officer, his family said.
“George’s unwavering love and dedication to his 1-year-old daughter, Everlyn Marie Castellanos, shone through in every facet of his life,” the family said. “He worked tirelessly as the head of security at Martini Bar in Doral, always striving to create a brighter future for his precious daughter. “
The family added, “His infectious smile and uplifting energy had the power to brighten any room he walked into.”
The GoFundMe fundraiser is intended to pay for Castellano’s funeral arrangements and support his daughter and her mother, the family said.
As of Monday afternoon, over $82,000 had been raised.
