22-year-old’s family says he was robbed, fatally shot in St. Paul as he arrived home from work

Mara H. Gottfried, Pioneer Press
Updated ·2 min read

The man killed in St. Paul’s North End this week was a 22-year-old who was attacked as he walked home from work, his family said.

“He was robbed and shot outside his home only a few feet from his door and his mother,” his aunt, Hidy Hammarsten, wrote on a fundraising website for Alex Becker’s funeral expenses.

A 911 caller reported shots fired and officers responded on Tuesday just before midnight. They located a shooting victim in the 500 block of West Lawson Avenue and he died at the scene, police said Wednesday.

Police said they were investigating what led to the shooting and who was responsible. No one was under arrest as of Wednesday afternoon. Investigators and the family are asking anyone with information to call 651-266-5650.

“Alex was a beautiful, gentle, smart, kind, hardworking, generous person,” his mother, Tara Becker, said in a statement. “He loved Pokémon, D&D (Dungeons & Dragons), Naruto, cartography, and Warcraft 3. He spent every day taking care of everyone and thinking of others. He was a hard worker and when he wasn’t working he was spending time with his family.”

Alex Becker worked at Goodin Co. on Como Avenue, according to Hammarsten. The company is a wholesale distributor of products for residential and commercial plumbing, heating, air conditioning and refrigeration, and industrial and mechanical piping systems.

Becker was a 2019 graduate of Como Park Senior High School, where he took part in Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC). He had three younger siblings, and spent his free time playing video games with his brothers and watching movies with his sister.

“Never a mean word to say about anyone, he truly tried to see the good in everyone,” Hammarsten said.

Becker’s grandfather died less than a month ago and Becker was a pallbearer on Dec. 19. Now, Becker “will be laid to rest as the family struggles to pay for the first funeral costs,” Hammarsten wrote. “If you are able, please consider donating as the family is greatly grieving this late holiday season.”

The fundraiser for Becker’s funeral expenses can be found at gofund.me/a8fbb59d.

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