Da’Jon Anthony Hayes-Burr was a 15-year-old Black male from Louisville, Kentucky, whose life ended in a shooting on the night of July 25, 2026, only months after he had been celebrated across the community for risking his own safety to protect a younger girl. At about 8:20 p.m., Louisville Metro Police officers were called to the 3800 block of Alford Avenue in the city’s Shawnee neighborhood after reports of gunfire. When officers arrived, they found Da’Jon suffering from a gunshot wound.
He was rushed to UofL Hospital, but his injuries proved fatal and he died later that night. The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office subsequently identified him and determined that he had died from the gunshot injury.
Police moved quickly in the homicide investigation. By the following morning, authorities had taken a 14-year-old boy into custody and charged him with murder in connection with Da’Jon’s death. Because the accused is a juvenile, police have not publicly released his name or other identifying information. Investigators have also not publicly disclosed what led to the shooting, whether there had been an argument or confrontation beforehand, what relationship existed between Da’Jon and the accused teenager, or what motive authorities believe was behind the killing. As of the most recent publicly available reporting, the case remained under investigation by the Louisville Metro Police Department’s Homicide Unit, and no publicly reported trial, conviction, or final disposition of the murder charge had occurred.
Da’Jon’s killing drew particular attention because of what had happened to him just three months earlier at Thunder Over Louisville, the annual event associated with the Kentucky Derby Festival. In April 2026, a woman and her 12-year-old daughter said an adult man began making sexually inappropriate comments toward the child as they were leaving the event. The girl’s mother confronted the man and began calling for help. Da’Jon, who was nearby with relatives and other teenagers, heard what was happening and intervened rather than walking away.
The man involved in that earlier confrontation was identified by authorities as 45-year-old Vasilis Sakellaridis. According to accounts of the incident, Da’Jon and other young people attempted to protect the girl and prevent the man from reaching her. During the struggle, Da’Jon was stabbed in the chest. He survived the wound after receiving hospital treatment, while Sakellaridis was arrested in connection with the confrontation and faced criminal charges. Reports indicated that Sakellaridis pleaded not guilty in that separate case. The April incident has not been publicly identified by police as being connected to Da’Jon’s later killing in July.
Da’Jon’s actions during the April encounter turned him into a widely recognized figure in Louisville. He was honored for his bravery by local officials, including recognition from the Louisville Metro Council. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear also recognized him for his courage and selflessness, sending him a letter of appreciation and a challenge coin. Those who knew Da’Jon said he did not appear to view himself as a hero despite having placed himself in danger to protect a child he did not know. His family described him as compassionate, courageous and willing to stand up for other people when they needed help.
At the time of his death, Da’Jon was preparing to begin his sophomore year of high school. His family said he had been looking forward to the upcoming school year and described his killing as both tragic and senseless. The circumstances made his death especially painful for relatives and community members: a teenager who had survived being stabbed while protecting someone else in April was dead from gun violence before the summer was over.
In the days following the shooting, community leaders, teachers, classmates and public officials remembered Da’Jon for the choices he made during his short life rather than solely for the circumstances of his death. Governor Beshear said Da’Jon’s bravery and selflessness would leave a lasting impact on Louisville and the Commonwealth of Kentucky. His family similarly encouraged people to honor his memory through kindness, by standing up for others and by opposing violence.
Da’Jon was laid to rest after funeral services held on August 7, 2026, at Zion Baptist Church in Louisville. Friends, relatives, educators and others gathered to remember the teenager whose name had first become known because he stepped forward when someone was in danger and whose life was abruptly taken only a few months later. The teenager accused of killing him remained the only publicly reported suspect, charged with murder but unidentified because of his age. Authorities had not publicly announced a motive, additional suspects, a trial outcome or a conviction as of the latest available reporting.
