FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Downtown Fort Myers businesses participated in a zombie bar crawl Saturday night, after the annual Zombicon event was canceled.
At last years Zombicon, a gunman opened fire, killing 20-year-old Expavious Tyrell Taylor, and injured several others. The shooter is still on the loose a year later and police are still trying to crack the case. "We know there's one person out there, one person that can make all the difference," said SWFL Crime Stoppers Coordinator, Trish Routte.
Police still need more tips and information from people who were near the shooter or know him. "The Taylor family deserves justice, they deserve closure," said Routte. "They deserve to know that the person who shot Expavious is behind bars."
Despite the cancelation of the event, Dowtown Fort Myers businesses held their own zombie-themed event. Business owners expressed the event, ran by a charity that promotes the arts, was beloved by the community and brought a lot of business to the area. "It was huge exposure for Downtown every year that they had it," said Raimond Aulen, owner of Indigo Room. "It certainly brought a lot of business. I mean, you could do a couple weeks of business in one night."
He and many others believe the incident could have happened anywhere at any time, and people should not live in fear. "I think it's important to not cower in fear to those types of activities and try to go on with our lives and enjoy ourselves," said Aulen.
Businesses who participated in the Zombie Crawl accepted donations for Pushing Daizies, the organization that normally puts on Zombicon, so they could continue their efforts offering art and music scholarships and classes in the community.
