On a quiet morning in Falls Church, Virginia, 73-year-old Nelson Alexander Sr. made a routine stop at a walk-up ATM before heading to work. It was around 5:20 a.m. on October 20, 2021, when his life took a tragic and unexpected turn. As he stood to withdraw cash, a masked individual brandishing a small revolver approached him. The sudden appearance of the armed man startled Alexander, causing him to drop his wallet.
In a senseless act of violence that followed, the assailant shot him once in the chest. The gunman then fled the scene in a Nissan Murano without taking any of Mr. Alexander's belongings. For nearly an hour, Alexander lay wounded in the parking lot until a passing bicyclist discovered him and called for help. He was rushed to a local hospital where he fought for his life for three days before succumbing to his injuries on October 23.
The investigation into the shocking murder of the beloved family man, known affectionately as 'Uncle Bird,' began immediately. Detectives determined the Nissan Murano used as a getaway car had been stolen from Alexandria the previous night. A crucial piece of evidence came from surveillance footage from a Metro bus, which captured three individuals, two of whom were later identified as the suspects, near where the car was stolen. A combination of public tips, digital and forensic evidence, and meticulous detective work eventually led authorities to identify those responsible for the crime. The community and law enforcement partners, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, offered a reward for information leading to an arrest.
In April 2022, authorities announced the arrests of two suspects. Timothy Kashaun Bradshaw Robinson, who was 19 years old and from Falls Church, and a 17-year-old male from Washington, D.C., were taken into custody. Police identified the 17-year-old as the shooter and Robinson as the driver of the stolen getaway vehicle. Both were charged with felony murder, robbery, and firearm offenses. Robinson was arrested at his home, while the juvenile was already in custody in Maryland on an unrelated violent offense and awaited extradition to Virginia. Prosecutors expressed their intent to charge the 17-year-old as an adult for his role in the cold-blooded killing. The family of Nelson Alexander expressed their profound grief and immense relief upon learning that the individuals allegedly responsible for his death had been caught.
