In the afternoon hours of November 13, 2017, a sense of normalcy was shattered for a family driving through South Memphis. Ten-year-old Richard Jordan III, a student at Alton Elementary who loved football and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, was a passenger in a car with his mother, another adult, and two other children. As they waited at a traffic light at the intersection of Airways Boulevard and Ketchum Road, their vehicle was suddenly ambushed. Occupants of three separate cars—described as a gold Chevrolet Malibu with missing hubcaps, a black Chrysler 300, and a gray sedan—pulled alongside and unleashed a barrage of gunfire into the family's car before speeding away, heading east on Ketchum.
The driver of the targeted vehicle, in a desperate bid for help, drove to a nearby police station. From there, Richard, along with a 12-year-old and an adult who were also injured in the shooting, were rushed to the hospital. Tragically, Richard Jordan III succumbed to his injuries at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital. The other two victims survived the attack. The motive for the shooting remains a mystery to investigators, as the adults in the car could not provide a reason why they might have been targeted.
In the years that have followed the young boy's death, his family has been left with a profound and lasting grief. They have spoken of the milestones they will never get to witness, such as his first dance or high school graduation. Despite pleas from both the family and the Memphis Police Department for anyone with information to come forward, the case has grown cold. Surveillance footage captured images of two of the vehicles believed to be connected to the shooting, but authorities have been unable to locate them. Over the years, only a handful of tips have been received, none of which have led to a suspect. To this day, no arrests have been made in the killing of Richard Jordan III, and the individuals responsible for his death remain at large.
