Richmond - Joseph Alexander was a typical 21-year-old who liked to hang out with his friends
"He was into cars, sports, and he loved girls," his father, also named Joseph Alexander said with a laugh.
At the same time, he was excited to take on the new role of being a father to a 2 month-old son.
Joseph's smile was contagious. His exuberance endeared him to family and friends.
"He was a real athletic, energetic and kind of life-of-the-party kind of guy. Everyone loved him," his father said.
But in April 2018, Joseph went into the Stop and Shop Market at Potrero and Carlson in Richmond/ He wasn't the kind of guy to get into trouble. But at this well-known market, trouble found him.
"He was targeted by a lone gunman who walked into the parking lot and shot him multiple times," said Richmond police Sgt. Aaron Pomeroy.
Joseph would never make it home.
"It was pretty horrific, you know, quite unexpected," his father said.
Police say Joseph may not have been killed by accident..
Pomeroy is head of investigations. He's seen crimes like this before, with few witnesses and no motive for the violence. But in this case, to him, one thing is clear.
"Mr. Alexander was targeted that night, and it was obvious that he was targeted, and nobody deserves to be gunned down in a store parking lot at 11:30 in the evening."
"Absolutely senseless. It really is," Joseph's father said.
When the elder Alexander woke up the next morning, his phone lit up with texts. At around the same time, he flipped on the TV.
"It kind of like caught me by surprise that I'm reading a text message that my son was shot and murdered, and I'm seeing it on the news at the same time," he said.
In an instant, the family was torn apart.
Loved ones, forever mourning their loss.
Now, Joseph's father has made it his mission to find his son's killer.
He's posted flyers, told people about a $10,000 reward for tips and counseled other families who have lost loved ones to violence.
"He just had a lot of supportive people behind him, you know, just to make sure he gets justice," the elder Alexander said.
But justice, so far, has been elusive.
Richmond police do have some leads in the form of surveillance video, including an image of the suspect's SUV at Cutting and Carlson, a few blocks from the market, before the shooting.
The same SUV drives past the market right as Joseph arrives. All this was caught on this security camera right outside the store.
"We're acting under the suspicion that it was a pure coincidence that as they passed the market they happened to see the victim at the market and realized who it was," Pomeroy said.
The SUV circles the block two more times before stopping to let the gunman out.
"We have a video of our suspect getting out of the vehicle and walking towards the market from a side street," Pomeroy said
And as Joseph walked out of the market, the man opened fire. The gunman then runs back to the same suv that had dropped him off.
"I believe it was the wrong place wrong time totally innocent," said Kimeko Alexander, the victim's aunt.
The family wants answers. They say it's unfair that a little boy will never know his father. And his grandfather, will never see his pain go away.
"Have a heart," Kimeko Alexander said. "This young man had a son, he had a family and we miss him so much every day."
They say they know people may be reluctant to come forward.
"Put yourself in my shoes. Regardless of all the street laws or the politics of the street, you know, this was a wrongful act and whoever's responsible should pay for it," Joseph Alexander said.