Mark Franklin Jr. was a peacemaker, his aunt said. But that attribute cost the 21-year-old his life in St. Paul last week.

First, he protected his 19-year-old cousin when her boyfriend wrapped his hands around her neck early Friday, according to a criminal complaint filed Monday. Then, Theotis Antonio Thomas allegedly came back to the family’s Frogtown home with a gun.

While inside a bedroom, Thomas shot into a wall. Two babies and other children were in the house at risk of being injured or killed, so Franklin tried to wrestle the gun away from Thomas, said his aunt, Danielle Moore.

“It was fight or flight,” she said Monday. “He was trying to save his own life and everybody else’s life, too.”

Franklin’s cousin, who was holding the 3-week-old baby she has with Thomas, also tried to stop her boyfriend, Moore said. But Thomas shot Franklin in the eye, said the police complaint charging the 19-year-old with second-degree intentional murder.

A friend of Franklin’s 17-year-old cousin rushed Franklin to the hospital, where he soon died.

“He didn’t deserve this,” Moore said. “Everyone knows you’re not going to hear a bad story about him because he’s a peacemaker. He’s been that way since he was a kid.”

CAME BACK TO MINNESOTA AFTER HIS MOM WAS SHOT

Franklin was working in Iowa, but moved back to Minnesota after his mother was wounded in a shooting in December. Her husband is charged with attempted murder.

Franklin took an overnight shift at FedEx, so he could be with his mother each day at the hospital, Moore said. She was hospitalized for more than two months.

Now, as she recoveries from her injuries, she is “back to ground zero” with the loss of her youngest son, Moore said.

Franklin was staying at another aunt’s house when he was shot Friday. Police responded to the house on Elfelt Street and Lafond Avenue about 4 a.m.

THREATENED A SHOOTING

Franklin’s 17-year-old cousin told police that the suspect, Thomas, got into an argument with his 19-year-old girlfriend, who is the cousin’s sister, and put his hands around her neck. Franklin grabbed Thomas and slammed him onto a bed, according to the complaint.

Moore, however, said Franklin didn’t get physical.

“He got in the middle and broke them apart,” she said. “He didn’t push that man, he didn’t hit him. … This wasn’t just that he was breaking up a domestic; he was protecting his cousin.”

The complaint said Thomas “was very upset” Franklin “had gotten involved and put his hands on Thomas. Thomas said something about returning with a gun and he left the house. The (17-year-old) had heard Thomas previously mention killing everybody in the house, but he had not taken Thomas seriously.”

Franklin’s aunt also heard Thomas say he was “Fittin’ to shoot all y’all (expletive),” before he left, the complaint said.

WOMAN TRIED TO STOP SHOOTING

Thomas’ girlfriend figured he left to cool down, but there was a knock on the door 15 to 45 minutes later, according to estimates from people in the house.

Franklin’s 17-year-old cousin thought Thomas had returned and feared trouble, the complaint said.

But Thomas’ girlfriend thought he sounded calm and she opened the door. Thomas asked, “Where’s that (racial epithet)?” and the woman knew he had a gun in his pocket, so she pulled on Thomas as he walked up the stairs.

Thomas found Franklin in his 17-year-old’s cousin’s room, and Thomas’ girlfriend tried to stop him from entering.

Thomas yelled at Franklin for putting his hands on him and then Thomas fired a shot that went into the wall. Franklin tried to take cover and Thomas’ girlfriend attempted to stop him from firing again.

Franklin yelled, “What are you doing?,” but the 17-year-old saw Thomas pull the trigger and shoot Franklin, the complaint said. He “was so close to the shooting that his ears were still ringing when he spoke to police at headquarters,” the complaint continued.

MAN SAYS HE DOESN’T RECALL WHAT HAPPENED

Thomas turned himself in to police on Friday night and is being held in the Ramsey County jail.

“Thomas said he knew police were looking for him, but he claimed to not know why,” according to the criminal complaint. “Thomas said he was too drunk and stoned to

recall the events of March 15, 2019. Thomas eventually asked for a lawyer.”