Nicholas Jerome Ackies was an 18-year-old freshman and defensive lineman for Norfolk State University who was shot and killed on the evening of October 27, 2017, in the 800 block of Hayes Street in Norfolk, Virginia. Responding officers found Ackies suffering from a gunshot wound; Norfolk Fire-Rescue medics pronounced him dead at the scene.

The investigation identified 22-year-old Jaquan M. Anderson, a Norfolk State graduate and former teammate, as a suspect. Anderson contacted police after the shooting and said he had shot Ackies in self-defense, claiming Ackies tried to rob him. Anderson was arrested at the scene and charged with second-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, held without bond.

Anderson’s trial began in August 2019; the jury found him guilty of second-degree murder and the firearm offense and imposed a 27-year prison sentence. Does anyone have additional information about Ackies’ life or the events that night?