On the evening of July 2, 2023, Alexander H. Crawford, 39, was fatally shot after an altercation outside the Family Dollar at 102nd Street and Second Avenue in Troy’s Lansingburgh neighborhood. According to his obituary, Crawford sustained the gunshot while protecting his son, then re-entered the store to report what had happened before being taken to Samaritan Hospital, where he died.

Crawford was a married father of five. The obituary said he loved his family, enjoyed nature and music, and had rebuilt his life after spending a decade in prison earlier in life. His death was recorded as the city of Troy’s first homicide of 2023.

Investigators pursued leads with community help and on August 16, 2023, arrested a 16-year-old male in an apartment in Rensselaer. He was arraigned in Troy City Court on charges of second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and was to be prosecuted as an adult. Did anyone in the Lansingburgh area see the events that night or know more about Alexander’s life?