Nelson Beckett was a 90-year-old Navy veteran from Texas. Per ABC 13, Beckett went to the parking lot of his Lone Star Living assisted living complex when he was savagely attacked. A man "who appeared to be in his late 20s" approached Beckett and started talking to him. Suddenly, the man began beating Beckett. The attacker pulled out a gun and shot Beckett. Then, he got into Beckett's car, ran him over, and drove off.
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Beckett was pronounced dead by the time he was taken to a local hospital. His car was found abandoned at an apartment complex three miles away from the site of the attack and subsequent murder. Rod Boson, a neighbor of the Lone Star Living facility, told KHOU 11 that he heard an argument and a "scuffle."
"He had his little shopping cart and a scuffle ensued. They say he put up a good fight. That's when he got shot. As the suspect backed up, he hit [Beckett]," Boson recalled. An arrest hasn't been made yet, and the shooter is considered armed and dangerous.
A 90-Year-Old Navy Veteran Is Killed During Carjacking
Additionally, Beckett's children shared a statement regarding the passing of their father. "My dad, Nelson Beckett, was 90 years old, a father of two. Navy veteran. Graduate of (what is now) Abilene Christian University. Was raised & married his wife in Oklahoma City, then moved to Houston in the early 1960s with her and their two children who attended HISD schools (including Sharpstown HS). In addition, he was a grandfather of five, and had six great-grandchildren (and one on the way)," Tim Beckett told KHOU 11.
"He was the kindest, funniest man you'd ever meet. He loved meeting people and greeted them all with jokes and his famous business card, which said 'my card.' He loved to make someone laugh and brighten their day. To him, everyone had value. ... He would do anything for anyone. He loved big and loved his family so much," Beckett's daughter added.
"Kind, friendly gentleman -- always smiling to everybody. You know, it's a shame what happened. It's a retirement community. It's a shame they look at them as easy targets," Boson stated.
