27-05-2025
East, South Side residents remember slain Livingston Market owner as pillar of community
Jehad Alzaben, who was fatally shot May 25 in his Columbus convenience store, was described by one person who has known him for years as "a family man who took care of the neighborhood."
"He blessed the neighborhood," said Keisha Bates, who owned a business next door to Alzaben in the Driving Park neighborhood and has known Alzaben since he came from Jordan decades ago.
"You know how sometimes people don't have enough money to get something? (He would say) 'Don't worry about it.' Or if you needed milk for your baby and you didn't have it, 'Go ahead, take that can,'" Bates said.
Dozens of people from the Driving Park neighborhood, other parts of the Near East Side and the South Side showed up May 26 for a candlelight vigil outside Alazaben's Livingston Market at 1619 E. Livingston Ave. near Seymour Avenue to memorialize him.
According to Columbus police, officers responded around 11:45 p.m. on May 25 to Alzeban's market on reports of gunshots. When police arrived, they found Alzeban suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced deceased at 12:30 a.m. on May 26.
Bates said the vigil for Alzeban brought out "the whole South Side and most of the East Side."
"And the people driving through were beeping their horns and stopping the car — stopping traffic," Bates said. "If you come from this area, you know Jehad from somewhere."
Alzaben ran and owned the Livingston Market for 28 years. When Bates owned a hair salon next door to his store, she said they worked together to keep the block safe and free from drug dealing.
"People used to think they were going to sell drugs and everything like that," Bates said. "Not here you weren't."
She said the killing didn't make any sense to her.
"It was very, very senseless, and they don't even realize what they did to our community," Bates said. "They really don't. He was such a good person."
On Facebook, the Livingston Area Merchants Association said Alzaben was "a beloved Livingston Avenue business owner, neighbor, and friend." In addition to his random acts of kindness at his store, he also supported the community by donating to youth sports, National Night Out and local organizations.
Columbus police homicide detectives continue to investigate the killing and to determine a motive.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call Columbus police Detective Brandt at (614) 645-4077, the Homicide Unit at (614) 645-4730, or Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at (614) 461-TIPS (8477).
Cole Behrens covers K-12 education and school districts in central Ohio. Have a tip? Contact Cole at cbehrens@ or connect with him on X at @Colebehr_report
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Slain Livingston Market owner remembered by community for generosity
