Mother of son shot to death in Jacksonville still searching for answers 6 years later

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – It’s been six years and one day since a Jacksonville mother lost her youngest son to gun violence.

Hakeem Busch, 35, was found shot to death on Newbolt Court on the Westside in 2017.

“Every day is a struggle for me,” Hakeem’s mother, Melinda Busch said. “Every day is painful for me.”

Melinda said Hakeem was involved in a double shooting. The other woman who was wounded during the shooting survived.

Melinda said detectives told her Hakeem was shot multiple times, but he didn’t suffer long.

“My son didn’t deserve this,” Melinda said. “No one deserves it. No one should be gunned down like a dog.”

Hakeem was a father of four who loved his children, his mother said.

Melinda said she moved Hakeem and his other two siblings to Jacksonville from Chicago for a better life and never imagined this would happen.

Melinda described the father of four as someone who was always smiling and a prankster. And she said she’ll always cherish the last moments she spent with her son in person.

“He came to the house, I fixed dinner,” Melinda said. “I fixed him some lima beans, smoked turkey, rice and mac and cheese.”

News4JAX reported in the past, a report released to us through an open records request from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, that detectives had little information to work with to find Hakeem’s killer.

Melinda said detectives told her in the past someone was arrested in connection to the case, but not the person who pulled the trigger.

“I hope one day justice is going to be served for my son because he deserves it,” Melinda said. “I know it’ll never bring him back, but I want to know why. Every day I want to know why.”

Melinda said she is hopeful to get answers soon to gain some type of closure.

She also said she wants gun violence in the city to go down, so other families don’t go through the heartache she is experiencing.

If you have any information, you’re asked to contact JSO or Crime Stoppers.


About the Author:

Khalil Maycock joined the News4JAX team in November 2022 after reporting in Des Moines, IA.