On a Monday evening in Salem, Oregon, the life of 17-year-old Alfredo Junior Hernandez was tragically cut short. It was January 22, 2018, when the McKay High School student, a Hispanic male, was found with a fatal gunshot wound to the head near the Columbia Village apartments on Fisher Road NE. He was pronounced dead at the scene, leaving a community in shock and a family heartbroken.
In the days that followed, an intense investigation unfolded.
Less than a month later, on February 8, authorities arrested 36-year-old Pedro Segura. A grand jury subsequently indicted him on multiple charges, including murder, three counts of unlawful use of a weapon, riot, and being a felon in possession of a weapon. Segura, who had a prior criminal record, was ordered to be held without bail. Court documents revealed that he had also been treated for a gunshot wound following the incident.
The news of an arrest brought a complex wave of emotions for Alfredo's mother, Dawn Hernandez. She expressed a sense of relief that someone was in custody, a step towards the justice they had been praying for. However, she also conveyed the profound and enduring pain of her loss, describing how she would momentarily forget her son was gone, expecting him to walk through the door at any moment. The prospect of a lengthy legal battle, which she was told could last one to two years, tempered any sense of closure.
Alfredo was remembered as a joyful and faithful young man who was deeply loved by his family and friends. He was an avid BMX biking enthusiast and took great pride in his 1991 Mustang. His death left a void in the lives of those who knew him, a sentiment echoed by the McKay High School principal who stated, "Alfredo will forever be part of our school, our community and our McKay family."
