SAN FRANCISCO (DailyKenn.com) — Joey Alexander, a 60-year-old street ambassador for a nonprofit combating urban blight, died Tuesday after a shotgun blast ended his shift outside the city's main public library, authorities said.
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The Oakland resident, who had transformed his life after 23 years in prison to help others facing addiction and homelessness, succumbed to injuries from the Sept. 26 shooting despite emergency surgeries and an amputation, his family said. Alexander's death marked the 19th homicide in San Francisco this year and highlighted the perils faced by outreach workers in the Tenderloin district.
The incident unfolded just before 5 p.m. on a Friday afternoon near Larkin and Grove streets, across from City Hall. Alexander, stationed with Urban Alchemy colleagues to deter open drug use and maintain order, spotted 42-year-old Edmund Bowen injecting drugs in plain view of families and children exiting the library. "There are kids around," Alexander politely urged, according to witnesses and organization officials.
Bowen, visibly agitated, retorted with an expletive-laced dismissal of Urban Alchemy before reaching into his bag, pulling a shotgun and firing at close range — about 20 feet away. The blast struck Alexander in the leg, severing an artery and causing massive blood loss. Shrapnel also injured a nearby worker, who was treated for minor wounds.
Sheriff's deputies patrolling the library and City Hall area responded within seconds, rendering aid to Alexander and tackling Bowen as he attempted to flee. The suspect was subdued and arrested on the spot, initially charged with assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a firearm by a felon. He had been booked into county jail before Alexander's death elevated the case to homicide.
District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced murder charges against Bowen on Thursday, with an additional assault count for the shrapnel victim. Bowen, a San Francisco resident with a history of drug-related arrests, made his first court appearance Friday amid a crowd of supporters for Alexander in the Hall of Justice corridors. His arraignment was deferred, and he remains in custody without bail.
Witnesses described the scene as chaotic yet swift. "It happened so fast — one second Moe was talking, the next there was this boom," said Ronald Carter, a longtime Urban Alchemy colleague who rushed to his side. "He was our brother, always with a smile, turning his pain into purpose." Alexander's brother, Marvin, echoed the sentiment: "Joey loved this job. He was making amends, giving back what he took away in his past."
Urban Alchemy CEO Dr. Lena Miller called the killing "devastating and deeply unacceptable," vowing to press on with the mission of fostering dignity and safety. The organization, which employs formerly incarcerated individuals like Alexander — his first job post-release two years ago — noted he was at least the third staffer shot on duty.
Mayor Daniel Lurie decried the violence as a stark reminder of street-level risks. "Joey gave his life for this work," he said in a statement. On Oct. 7, hundreds of Urban Alchemy workers and allies rallied on City Hall steps, joined by leaders like Code Tenderloin's Del Seymour and outreach advocate Cedric Akbar, who demanded more resources and protections. "We can't let this stop us, but we need backup — training, vests, backup," Akbar said. Memorials of flowers and photos sprouted outside the library and Urban Alchemy's Tenderloin offices, where colleagues gathered to grieve. Alexander is survived by son Joey Jr. and brothers Marvin and Jeffery Ware.
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