Cion was a young man with his whole life laid out ahead of him, but everything was stolen in a single moment of bravery. On a warm Wednesday night in downtown St. Paul, he saw someone in trouble and decided he could not just walk away. That decision to step up and try to stop a domestic violence situation ultimately cost him his life.
By all accounts, Cion was doing everything right in a world where it is far too easy to get off track. He was an accomplished young professional working hard in a corporate career and climbing the organizational ladder step by step. Just the day before he was killed, he talked with his mother about applying for a promotion that came with higher pay, a position he was widely expected to land.
It all unfolded just before midnight on the 200 block of 7th Street East. Cion happened upon a tense domestic altercation taking place right on the street. Instead of turning his back or keeping his head down, his instinct was to protect the person being targeted. That selfless choice put him directly in the line of fire.
When gunfire erupted, Cion was struck in the stomach, while another adult man at the scene was hit in the leg. Police officers rushed to the area after receiving multiple emergency calls, finding both men wounded near the street. Paramedics hurried Cion to nearby Regions Hospital, but despite the best efforts of the medical staff, his injuries were too severe and he passed away.
The loss has left Cion’s family completely shattered and asking painful questions that have no simple answers. His mother, Malinda Aguilar, shared her heartbreak in a raw online tribute, remembering how she raised him with so much care. She had put him in top schools, moved him out of state, and watched him build a solid corporate career, only to see his life cut short in seconds. “Why baby whhhyyyyy????? You didn’t need to play hero,” she wrote in grief.
Other family members expressed deep anger over local crime and the legal system. His relative, Sofia Santos-Castro, voiced her frustration publicly, pointing out how tragic it is that a young man doing so well lost his life trying to do the right thing. She lamented that while Cion is gone forever, the shooter remains alive and could eventually face lenient court outcomes down the road.
As police work to bring answers to the family, friends and loved ones are rallying together to support Malinda through this nightmare. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help cover funeral and memorial costs for the young hero. Meanwhile, the second shooting victim was treated for his non-life-threatening leg injury, leaving behind a grieving community that will never forget Cion’s courage.
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