On the morning of May 19, 2025, Michael James Alexander Jr., 35, was found unresponsive in a driveway in the 1300 block of West 4th Street in Waterloo, Iowa. First responders arrived around 10:42 a.m. and discovered he had sustained gunshot wounds. He was taken to MercyOne Medical Center and pronounced dead. The Waterloo Police Department confirmed the death is being investigated as a homicide.

An arrest was made in the days after the shooting when Tramaine Gary was taken into custody on separate charges after a search of a Flower Street residence turned up a handgun and marijuana. Gary has not been charged in Alexander’s homicide and the investigation remains active. Michael Alexander was born in Waterloo but had been living in Sacramento, California, where he graduated from John F. Kennedy High School and earned an associate’s degree in business administration. A father of four, he performed in the underground music scene under the name Dr. Jeer and had returned to Waterloo to attend a funeral; he was reportedly waiting for a ride to that service when he was shot.

Anyone who saw activity in the 1300 block of West 4th Street around 10:30–11:00 a.m. on May 19, 2025, or who knew Michael’s plans that morning is asked to share information.