A gunman named Ermakov tried to shoot Tsarevich Alexei , but the jewels in the boy 's clothes protected him . When the gunman returned , Dr Botkin was shot and the Tsarevich Alexei was slaughtered , one gunman repeatedly trying to shoot or stab the boy in the torso . The jewels sewn in his clothes protected him , and finally another gunman fired two shots into his head .