Hayden Chalmers was fatally shot at a bus stop on West Forsyth Street in downtown Jacksonville on Aug. 21. More than two months later, no arrests have been announced.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Hayden Chalmers should have been celebrating his 22nd birthday Wednesday. Instead, his mother is mourning the life he lost and urging anyone with information to help identify the person responsible for his killing.
Chalmers was wounded at the downtown Jacksonville bus stop and later died at a hospital. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said the investigation remains active, but detectives have not made an arrest.
His mother, Kara Chalmers, said her son had bought a bus ticket and was waiting for his ride when the shooting occurred.
With his birthday approaching, she has found herself returning to one of the last messages he sent her.
“One of the last things he ever texted me was, ‘I love you,’” she said. “So, I live with the fact that that’s one of the last things he ever said to me… Nobody deserves this, so I wish somebody would come forward with some information.”
A life filled with music, laughter and family
Kara Chalmers described her son as outgoing and funny, with a deep voice and a passion for music. He also loved basketball, skateboarding and spending time outdoors.
He grew up surrounded by family in Jacksonville. His cousins were more like siblings, and the family regularly gathered at his grandparents’ beach home for barbecues, pool parties and holidays.
His birthday came just days before a holiday he especially enjoyed.
“He loved Halloween, and he loved dressing up for Halloween,” his mother said.
Still, she said what defined him most was the way he cared for other people.
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“He’d literally give someone his last dollar when he had nothing in his pocket,” she said.
After his death, friends contacted his mother to share stories and memories—including people she had never met.
“They reached out to me to tell me that he meant a lot to them and that he was always there for them,” she said.
Those messages have helped sustain her as she turns to family and friends for support. She has also found comfort in knowing her son continues to help others after his death.
“My one glimmer of hope in all this is that he was an organ donor,” she said. “And he’s saved three people’s lives by this tragedy.”
A plea for answers
Kara Chalmers said her son purchased his bus ticket at 5:41 p.m. and went to the stop to wait for a bus expected at 6 p.m. He was sitting there when he was shot, she said, while other people were nearby.
“It’s just shocking that that would happen,” she said. “In the middle of the day on a busy Friday when people are riding the bus home.”
Now, she is appealing to anyone who witnessed the shooting or knows anything about it to contact investigators.
“Any little thing, any little minor thing could possibly crack this case open,” she said.
Anyone with information can contact the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office or submit an anonymous tip through First Coast Crime Stoppers at 866-845-TIPS.