Justin T. Hackley Way: Flatbush street renamed for college student slain in 2017
As loved ones wore shirts bearing Justin’s image, they said the renaming of the block ensures his legacy will never fade.
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Eight years after 20-year-old Justin Hackley was shot and killed while home from college, his name now stands on the very Flatbush street where his life was taken.
Family, friends and community members gathered on Ocean Avenue for an emotional street renaming ceremony — a tribute to a young man whose life was cut short in 2017.
“Having the street with his name on it is symbolic that we have to continue to fight and never give up,” said Justin’s mother Marie Hackley.
Rasheed Boland was arrested shortly after the shooting, but his brother Dean — also accused in the killing — remained on the run for years. Marie says she couldn’t rest, knowing one of her son’s alleged killers was still out there.
“People was like, ‘Oh he’s in Jamaica.’ I said, ‘No he’s not — he’s somewhere,’” she said.
That question was finally answered in February, when Dean Boland was arrested in Upstate New York.
“I just started to cry because I thought – God is here. We going to finally, finally get this closure,” Marie said.
As loved ones wore shirts bearing Justin’s image, they said the renaming of the block ensures his legacy will never fade.
“His name will never be forgotten on this street because Justin was the true hero,” Marie added.
If convicted, the Boland brothers face a minimum sentence of 25 years to life.
