In the quiet neighborhood of Garden Springs Drive in Lexington, Kentucky, the life of 15-year-old Kevin Olmeda-Ortiz was tragically cut short on the evening of February 6, 2018. A student at Lafayette High School, Kevin was found by his older brother lying outside a home after being shot in the head. He died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. Another 15-year-old was also shot and injured in the incident.
Remembered by his brother as a 'good soul' and a 'modern-day hippie,' Kevin was known for his love of tie-dyed T-shirts and his willingness to always help his friends and family.
The day after the shooting, Lexington police arrested 16-year-old Malachi Rashon Jackson at Lafayette High School in connection with the death of Kevin Olmeda-Ortiz. In May 2018, a grand jury indicted Jackson on charges of murder and first-degree robbery. The indictment alleged that Jackson shot both Kevin and the other teenager while in the course of committing a theft. Following his arrest, Jackson was held in the Fayette Regional Juvenile Detention Center.
The community mourned the loss of the young man, one of several teenagers killed in Lexington in a short period. Services for Kevin were held, with a visitation scheduled at Smith & Smith Funeral Home. His death left a void in the lives of his parents, Lorena Ortiz and Joaquin Olmeda, and his older brother, who were left to grapple with the sudden and violent end to a young life full of promise.
