'Alex From Target' sees highs and lows of newfound fame

FRISCO -- Even with a cracked phone screen, Alex Lee can reach millions with a Twitter selfie.

Within 27 seconds, that tweet had 673 favorites.

The Frisco 16-year-old, dubbed #AlexFromTarget, was discovered with a picture of Alex bagging items at a Frisco Target.

"The whole Alex From Target thing is starting to get old," he said.

Alex from Target sees highs and lows of fame. Jobin Panicker reports.

It's a hashtag that has made the last two weeks unbelievable, even for his parents.

"I've just been shocked by the positive and the negative," said Marci Fooks, his mother.

And there has been plenty of both. Alex can't even cashier anymore because girls keep asking and looking for him.

WFAA

Frisco shoppers seek 'Alex from Target'

"No, not right now. Right now I'm working in the back," Alex said. "A lot of marriage proposals…there's a lot of marriage proposals."

Most of those proposals, he says, come from girls 14 and 15 years old.

"It's very precious. I think it's really cute that people adore him," his mom said.

Alex went from 144 followers to 755,000 practically overnight. He says it's given him a voice to push what matters; like helping needy kids with a non-profit his family has been instrumental in starting, JustLove International.

"As long as the platform stays positive, that's where he needs to be," said his father Eric.

But fame comes at a cost.

"Yeah I've gotten some threats. I've gotten death threats and not only me, but my family too," Alex said.

His parents say the threats started coming the day after the initial picture was taken. And that's painful for a mom and dad to see.

"Statements like 'go kill yourself, we're coming after you, tell me where are so I can beat you up,'" his mom said.

Alex says he pays no attention to it. But it's tough when it's attention Alex never asked for. Still his parents are tasked with keeping him grounded.

"He still has chores at home and he has homework to do. We're not going to change the way we parent because he has this platform," Eric said.

Alex is a 16-year-old thrust into the spotlight. Nowadays getting fast-food and going to the mall are nearly impossible. It's turned into a life-changing moment.

"I have to dress nicer now. I can't wear sweatpants. That really upsets me," he laughed.

In one minute and 45 seconds, Alex's post had 1,900 favorites. Alex Lee is just a young man trying to do something good out of something big while ignoring the bad.