LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville police have charged a man in the murder of Christian Gwynn, a 19-year-old shot and killed in December 2019.
According to his arrest citation, Jameko Lee Hayden is charged with murder, receiving stolen property and possession of a handgun by a convicted felon in connection to Gwynn's death.
Police said Hayden shot Gwynn twice before fleeing the scene in a red sedan. Officers were able to determine the sedan he was in possession of was a stolen Chevy Malibu.
Gwynn's family has been fighting for answers since he was killed near 43rd and Market more than one year ago.
"It feels like I'm floating," his mother Krista Gwynn said after receiving the news about the arrest from an LMPD detective Wednesday. "I'm happy, I'm mad because now I got a face to who killed my son, now I got a face to point my anger to."
WHAS11 has followed the Gwynn's journey for justice since their son was killed. They opened on WHAS11's Crime Stoppers in February of 2020 and 'Save Our City' special in December 2020.
"The last words he said to me was that he loved me," Krista Gwynn said. "I'm happy that I was able to tell him I loved him. That was my last words to him, and I'm happy my child knows his family loved him."
His family said Gwynn had left for a friend's house when his mother received a call to tell her to get to the scene of the shooting.
"I just want you to know [Hayden] you devastated my family," his father Nevada Gwynn said. "You have to live with that now just like I have to live with it and my family has to live with it."
Krista Gwynn called her son the ‘house clown,’ always making jokes and getting on his sister’s nerves.
"Now, my house is quiet, it’s just quiet," she said. "I got a 12-year-old, I got an 18-year-old and one that will be 24 soon, and it’s just quiet."
Gwynn's family joined other families of crime victims to speak out against increased shooting in the city in 2020. They also teamed up with others to collect and deliver turkey dinners to families struggling through the holidays as they continued to push for answers in the teenager's death.
"You don’t understand. Once you shoot that gun, you can’t bring that bullet back," Gwynn said. "This is not a video game. My son’s life won’t come back at the end of this run. You can’t put another quarter in that machine – you took my son’s life."
The Gwynns say they plan to follow Hayden's court hearings and look forward to a jury trial.
"You can deny it all you want, but you know what you did," Krista Gwynn said referring to Hayden. "And I want you to know that every time you close your eyes I hope you see my son's face."
The Gwynns plan to continue their advocacy work to help other victims of gun violence.
"We going to keep fighting because we want to help you get that same feeling we have today," Krista Gwynn said. "Now let's start getting the rest of these gun violence victims and these shooters off the streets."
Hayden has been previously convicted of several felonies, including robbery, fleeing police and first degree wanton endangerment. According to court records, Hayden was also charged with escaping custody and tampering with a prison monitoring device while assigned to the Home Incarceration Program in November 2020.
During his arraignment Thursday morning, Hayden pleaded not guilty. His bond is set at $500,000. His next hearing is May 7 at 9 a.m.
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