Large crowd honors ATM murder victim Nelson Alexander
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| A vigil for Nelson Alexander Oct. 30 at the Wells Fargo parking lot. |
Family and friends of Nelson Alexander remember him as a kind, sweet man who went out of his way to help people.
Alexander, age 73, was shot during a robbery at the Wells Fargo ATM on Annandale Road in Falls Church Oct. 20 and died three days later. The shooter is still at large.
About 200 people returned to the scene of the crime Saturday evening for a vigil featuring testimonials, a prayer, a poem, and the song “Amazing Grace.”
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| Nelson Alexander [NBC4] |
Alexander had 11 brothers and sisters and grew up in the neighborhood where he was shot. He was on his way to his job at a parcel delivery business when he stopped by the ATM.
“Cootie Bird,” as Nelson Alexander Sr. was affectionally known, “was well-liked in the community,” said Andrew Simons, a cousin who grew up with him in the Merrifield area. “He would do anything for anybody. He would always treat everybody real nice.”
Another cousin, Leroy Simons, praised Alexander for being a “loving guy” with “a good heart,” and Lewis Alexander, a first cousin, called him “quiet and easygoing.”
Nelson Alexander Sr.’s death is a “tragic loss to the community,” said Lee Barbour, who’d been a friend since they were 13. He described Alexander as a kind man who “encouraged people and never bothered nobody.”
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| Nelson Alexander Jr. (holding two candles) listens as the Rev. James Page of Calloway United Methodist Church (in a red shirt) offers a prayer. |
Chris Pearson, Alexander’s barber at Smitty’s Barbershop, said he will honor his friend by no longer booking anyone else during Alexander’s longtime slot, every other Saturday, 9:30-10 a.m.
“We will pursue justice on Nelson’s behalf,” Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis told the crowd. In the meantime, “we’re honored to be here and we appreciate the wonderful opportunity this family is giving us to say a few words. It’s an honor to stand with you tonight.”
The police department has received many tips on the crime, especially since a video was released Oct. 29 showing Alexander’s killer on a bus with two potential accomplices.
Related story: Man shot during ATM robbery dies
The FCPD is “working 24/7” to catch these offenders but “the police department can’t do it alone,” said Maj. Ed O’Carroll, chief of the Major Crimes, Cyber and Forensics Bureau. He urged everyone to share the photos and videos and “help us close this case.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is offering a $10,000 award for tips leading to an arrest. Anyone with information should call the ATF at 888-ATF-TIPS. FCPD’s Major Crimes Bureau at 703-246-7800, or Crime Solvers at 1-866,411-TIPS.