Adam Tamburin

atamburin@tennessean.com

The founder and CEO of Papa John's traveled to Tennessee this weekend to attend the funeral of an employee who was gunned down on the job.

Gordon Schaffer's family gathered Saturday to mourn his death at a funeral service in Spring Hill. In a Facebook post, Schaffer's sister said the pizza company's founder, John Schnatter, visited with the family before the service.

"We never once imagined that this would touch anyone high up in the Papa John's corporate office, let alone, John Schnatter," Devan Cronin wrote. "He was visibly distraught when speaking to my family about the tragic loss of my brother and it was apparent that he didn't come just to pay lip service."

Cronin said Papa John's also paid for Schaffer's funeral service and medical expenses. But, she added, "this display of support was so much more meaningful than any monetary donation."

Schaffer, 22, was working the late shift at the Columbia Papa John's on Oct. 20 when armed robbers entered the restaurant and forced him to empty the register. After Schaffer handed over fistfuls of cash, one of the suspects shot him. He died before medics could get him to the hospital.

Darious A. Fitzpatrick was arrested Wednesday and charged with killing Schaffer. He also faces charges related to the gunpoint robberies of two Dollar General stores earlier this month.

Prosecutors are working to move the 17-year-old suspect's case out of juvenile court into adult court.

No other charges have been filed in the slaying.

Reach Adam Tamburin at 615-726-5986 and on Twitter @tamburintweets.