OAKLAND — As much as he tried to hide it, Hoan Lieu was excited about the upcoming birth of his first child — a son, due in August, who would be named Benjamin.

The 51-year-old Lieu, known to family and friends as Harry, looked forward to being a parent with his wife of 2 1/2 years and was working three jobs to make sure they had what they needed.

He was proud and very protective of his wife, 38-year-old Kat, a kind and gentle person he had met three years ago in China, where he and his family had immigrated from in the 1980s. He had sponsored her coming to the United States, where they married in December 2015. It was the first marriage for both of them.

But Benjamin will never see his father, and his mother will forever live with the image of Lieu’s violent death.

Lieu was fatally shot in front of his wife on May 22 during a home invasion robbery at their house in the 4100 block of Carrington Street in East Oakland.

Lieu’s younger brother, Chris Lieu, 42, said his brother was protecting his wife “and in my mind he was a hero. He was someone who gave his life for his wife and unborn child.”

Hoan Lieu was in another room about 9:40 p.m. and his wife was sitting on a couch watching television when more than one man burst in, startling and scaring her, according to police.

He heard the commotion, immediately rushed out, and as his wife watched in horror he was shot and died at her feet, both family and police said.

The robbers fled and are still being sought. Police only have vague descriptions of them and have not said whether anything was taken from the home.

The killing has left those who knew Lieu distraught and angry.

Chris Lieu said his family was happy that Hoan Lieu had finally met someone he loved and that even though he tried to put up a front, “you could tell he was very happy and was looking forward to becoming a father and making their life as good as possible.”

That’s why he drove for Uber and Lyft, did part-time construction work and set up sound equipment for different events.

“He was happy about his future. He was looking forward to it,” Lieu said. “He was working even harder after Kat got pregnant.”

Lieu said his sister-in-law, who speaks little English, now lives with him and his family. She still grieves and cries a lot but knows she must be strong for their child, he said.

“You have to meet her to understand what kind of extraordinary person she is, ” he said.

Lieu said he is angry about what happened and wants those responsible “to pay the full price for what they did and what they have taken from us.” But the focus now “is my sister-in-law and her unborn child. How I can help them deal and cope with their loss?”

He has set up a GoFundMe account to provide financial assistance and some security to Benjamin’s future. So far, more than $16,600 of a $100,000 goal has been reached.

“She is welcome to stay with us as long as she needs,” Lieu said. He said Kat is very concerned about her son’s future without his father and “rhetorically asks what is going to happen. But eventually she is going to want her own independence and to be able to raise her son.”

To donate to the GoFundMe account, go to www.gofundme.com/7mo-pregnant-snl-kat-lost-husband

Police and Crime Stoppers of Oakland are offering up to $15,000 in reward money for information leading to the arrest of the suspects. Anyone with information may call police at 510-238-3821 or Crime Stoppers at 510-777-8572.