Who killed Jericho Scott?
It is the question his family and the New Haven Police Department have wanted to answer for the last year.
“It's especially difficult for me and my wife to go day to day without any answers as far as who is responsible for murdering my son,” Jericho’s father Leroy Scott said.
The deadly drive-by shooting just after midnight on Sunday April 19, 2015 remains actively under investigation by the New Haven Police Department Homicide Detectives. Police said 16-year-old Jericho was struck in the passenger seat of a parked car near his home on Exchange Street in the Fair Haven neighborhood.
“This case has presented a host of different plausible motives,” Detective Bertram Ettienne said in an exclusive interview with NBC Connecticut.
Family and friends of Jericho dressed in orange Thursday evening and had a balloon release by his memorial for National Gun Violence Awareness Day.
Several years before his murder, 9-year-old Jericho made national headlines when other little league baseball teams complained the outstanding athlete pitched too fast.
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“We had t-shirts that we made saying, 'Justice for Jericho',” Scott said, showing a collage of old baseball photos. “How ironic seven years later, we’re still screaming 'Justice for Jericho'.”
Both Scott and Ettienne are urging anyone who knows something about the deadly shooting, to finally come forward and say something.
“At this point it is believed that the suspect or suspects did flee the area in a car,” Ettienne said.
A dark colored, possible four door sedan is the best description Ettienne can give of the vehicle of interest. Some nearby surveillance video has been helpful, he said, but 14 months later, there are still no definitive suspects.
“A lot of people knew him and I believe that there’s people out there that knew exactly why this occurred and we need the help from the community,” Ettienne said.
For Scott, the pain of losing a child only hurts more knowing the killer is still out there.
“It’s become a tedious process because a lot of people the community have answers,” he said. “They are not cooperating as far as help put these pieces of the puzzle together.”
The family tells NBC Connecticut Wilbur Cross High School will graduate Jericho with the rest of his class later this month.
Anyone with information to help police solve this murder should call (203)589-6003. Tips can be made anonymously.
