Those who knew Jonathan Schaffer, the man killed at Coquette restaurant in North Hills, remember him as a kind-hearted and well-liked individual.
On Saturday, friends, coworkers, and customers are grappling with the shock and heartbreak of what happened.
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“He was just a kind and beautiful soul,” said Katie Carrigan, reflecting on her late manager and friend.
Tragically, 26-year-old Schaffer was killed, and another server, Jonathan Aguilar, was injured Friday morning when witnesses say Coquette’s executive chef, George Colom, opened fire before turning the gun on himself.
Authorities have not yet confirmed the motive behind the deadly shooting.
Carrigan and Keira Dillon, who worked closely with Schaffer, spent the day in front of the restaurant taping heartfelt messages to honor his memory.
"He made sure to get to know every single co-worker on a personal level," Katie Carrigan and Keira Dillon said.
Carrigan and Dillon worked with Schaffer at another restaurant, but his kindness, and his personality, compelled them to come to Coquette, their tribute joining this earlier message.
Among the tributes was a note from customers Barbara and Randy Jones, who wrote, “Kind, attentive, astute, he stood out as someone with a bright future.”
For Maxine Huggins, whose husband briefly worked under Colom at Coquette, the tragedy was personal and unsettling.
“I saw a video of them bringing out the deceased body from the same spot where I parked every day to pick up my husband,” she said.
Huggins described Colom as seemingly good-natured but emphasized the need for greater mental health support in the service industry.
“Chefs and hospitality workers face immense stress, yet it often goes unnoticed. They’re expected to show up, work hard, go home, and repeat the cycle. But something needs to change,” she said.
The family of Colom, confirmed on Saturday that he will not survive his injuries.
By Saturday morning, much of the restaurant’s website had been taken down, and the establishment remained closed throughout the day.
When reached for comment, the restaurant’s owners declined, simply saying, “No comment.”