Friends and family remember beloved St. Paul barber who was killed
By Jason Rantala
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ST. PAUL, Minnesota (WCCO) — Those close to Gabriel Arrazola Perez, known as Gabe for short, said the 44-year-old who lived in St. Paul was a master barber with a love of Mexican art.
“It’s just beyond comprehension that anybody would lift a finger to someone who was a pacifist,” said Danielle Robinson Briand, an immigration attorney and friend of Arrazola Perez. “His passing is something that has taken the entire community by surprise.”
Robinson Briand met Arrazola Perez in Mexico and helped him become a U.S. citizen back in 2022. This year, she said he stood strong protecting his family and community during Operation Metro Surge.
“We don’t know what happened, but whatever happened was very violent and we want to get to the bottom of it,” said Robinson Briand.
Arrazola Perez was last seen by his sister on Sunday, Robinson Briand said.
“It was a shock when on Monday the detectives showed up at his home and let his sister know that he was found,” said Robinson Briand.
Arrazola Perez owned Barbers on Bryant in Uptown. A note of his passing now sits in the shop window.
In a statement, family members said: “He was our safe place, our protector, our provider, and the person who held all of us together.”
“We want justice for him. Whoever is responsible, whether it was one person or multiple people, they need to be apprehended and they need to face justice for this,” said Robinson Briand.
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