Nearly three years after a late-night shooting claimed the life of 24-year-old Jerickson Hernandez, his relatives say the grief and unanswered questions are still running their lives. Hernandez, who moved to Memphis from Honduras in 2022, was shot on Sept. 28, 2023, near Chelsea Extended and Ozan Street and later died at a local hospital, family members say. Loved ones believe he had recently come into some cash and worry that money may have made him a target. They say the suspected shooters are still on the streets.
What investigators say
Memphis homicide detectives responded to the scene that night and found Hernandez suffering from a gunshot wound, according to WREG. Family members and authorities told the station he had a single gunshot wound to the head, and police have not announced any arrests. Detectives are still asking neighbors and potential witnesses to come forward with any detail that might finally break the case open.
Family's plea
Jose Hernandez, who says he brought his nephew Jerickson to Memphis in 2022, told WREG he believes three people were involved in the killing. He also said his nephew has been “scared” and mostly staying inside since the homicide, describing a household that feels trapped by fear and frustration. The family thinks the cash Jerickson was carrying may have been the motive and is urging anyone who knows something, however small, to speak up. For them, the slow trickle of information in an unsolved case has turned into a grinding wait.
Case in context
Hernandez’s killing is one of the cases that helped push Memphis to a grim milestone in 2023, when the city recorded 397 homicides and detailed the surge and its impact on investigators, according to The Daily Memphian. That wave of violence strained investigative resources and left families all over the city waiting for closure. For relatives of victims like Hernandez, every day without answers feels like reliving the crime.
How to help
CrimeStoppers and the Hernandez family are asking anyone with information to call the tip line at 901-528-CASH (2274). The organization has indicated there is a reward available for tips in this case. You can also contact the Memphis Police Department’s Cold Case Unit at 901-636-COLD (2653) or the Homicide Bureau at 901-636-3300, according to the department’s public information. Tips to CrimeStoppers can be submitted anonymously and could provide the lead detectives need to make an arrest.
Jose Hernandez says the family is not easing up and will keep pressing until someone is held responsible for Jerickson’s death. “The killers should pay for what they’ve done,” he told the station, adding that the family is counting on someone in the community to finally come forward and help bring justice.
