Justin Hackley

Justin T. Hackley was born August 22, 1996, and grew up in Brooklyn, where he was known to family and friends as a young man with promise and close ties to his neighborhood. While pursuing higher education, Justin attended Delaware State University; he was home on summer break in 2017 when his life was tragically taken on July 11 of that year.

Those who gathered to remember Justin in the years since his death have emphasized his connection to family and community. Local vigils and annual remembrances reflect how his family and neighbors honored him — lighting candles, sharing memories, and pressing for changes to make their streets safer. In recognition of his life and the impact on his community, a section of Flatbush was later designated Justin T. Hackley Way, a small but lasting tribute to his name in the neighborhood he called home.

Public reporting places Justin as a 20-year-old college student visiting family when the fatal shooting occurred. Though the public record focuses on the violence that ended his life, community accounts and memorial events consistently center his humanity: a son, a student, and a member of the Brooklyn community whose loss inspired family and neighbors to gather, remember, and advocate against gun violence.

Because there is no family-published obituary located in the public funeral-home or obituary records that matches the full name and the exact date of death, this life story draws from verified public sources to present a respectful remembrance. Justin’s loved ones have sought both justice and lasting recognition of his life; the street naming and community vigils stand as reminders that Justin’s life mattered beyond the headlines. He is remembered for his connections to family, his studies, and the hope he carried for a future he never lived to fulfill.