San Francisco Urban Alchemy ambassador dies days after being shot outside public library

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins on Thursday announced murder charges in the death of a beloved Urban Alchemy ambassador, who was shot outside of San Francisco's main public library.

On Friday afternoon, 60-year-old Joey Alexander was working his normal shift when he was shot. He was taken to the hospital where he spent several days before he died the following Tuesday.

A memorial is growing for Alexander, as he is remembered for serving his community.

INTERACTIVE: Take a look at the ABC7 Neighborhood Safety Tracker

"I can't overstate how tight knit the Urban Alchemy family is," said Urban Alchemy spokesperson Jess Montejano. "These are individuals with lived experience, incarceration, homelessness, addiction. They all have superpowers to help serve people in crisis and in need on our streets."

Despite the tragedy, Urban Alchemy says it is committed to its mission.

Urban Alchemy released the following statement:
We are outraged and heartbroken by the recent shootings of an Urban Alchemy worker and a member of the San Francisco Homeless Outreach Team (HOT Team)-individuals who were simply doing their jobs, attempting to uphold public safety and human dignity in some of the city's most vulnerable spaces.

These are not police officers or highly paid professionals. These are people in recovery themselves-frontline workers who, every day, put their own safety at risk to foster compassion, connection, and order on our streets. They step into difficult, often dangerous situations not with force, but with empathy. They are among the lowest-paid workers in the city's public safety ecosystem, and yet they are expected to shoulder the burden of a crisis that continues to grow without the necessary support or protection.

Joey Alexander, from Urban Alchemy, was shot for merely asking someone not to openly use drugs in public-and the HOT team member was shot while trying to help-both of their deaths are devastating and deeply unacceptable. We denounce this violence in the strongest terms. It is not only an attack on two individuals but an attack on the very idea that communities can be kept safe through care, recovery, and presence rather than punishment and fear.

We demand accountability for these heinous acts, and more importantly, we demand real support and safety for those we send into harm's way in the name of public service. These workers deserve more than thoughts and prayers. They deserve protection, livable wages, trauma-informed care, and recognition of the essential role they play. To the families, colleagues, and communities impacted: we grieve with you. And to the workers still on the frontlines despite the danger-you are seen, you are valued, and you should never have to do this alone.