In the early morning hours of June 15, 2023, a single act of violence abruptly ended the life of 24-year-old Majok Chol in Nashville, Tennessee. Chol, a Black male, was discovered inside his Dodge Charger on Tusculum Court around 12:15 a.m., having suffered multiple gunshot wounds. Emergency personnel who arrived at the scene pronounced him dead. Investigators believe that Chol had arranged a meeting with an individual shortly before the fatal shooting occurred, suggesting the encounter may
have been planned.
Witnesses at the scene reported seeing a suspect flee in a silver sedan, providing an initial lead for the Metro Nashville Police Department's Homicide Unit. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation was brought in to assist and officially confirmed the victim's identity. For more than a year, detectives pieced together the events of that night, an effort that ultimately pointed toward a single suspect.
In September 2024, the investigation culminated in a grand jury indictment of 24-year-old Joel Hernandez on a charge of first-degree murder in connection with Majok Chol's death. However, by the time the indictment was announced, Hernandez, whose last known residence was in Smyrna, had become a fugitive from justice. Authorities have since been actively searching for him and have appealed to the public for any information regarding his whereabouts. The motive for the deadly shooting has not been publicly disclosed by law enforcement officials.
