A Jamaican family is grappling with grief after 22-year-old Jayden Flemmings, a recent graduate of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU), was killed alongside his best friend and fraternity brother, Ronnie Burns II, in a fiery car crash in Houston, Texas, on Saturday, August 2.
The two were reportedly in the city to attend the Texas Greek Picnic, a multi-day fraternity and sorority event.
Flemmings, whose family hails from Barking Lodge in St. Thomas, Jamaica, had recently completed a bachelor’s degree in accounting at FAMU and was preparing to begin a master’s program in Global Business Development at Kempten University of Applied Sciences in Germany.
“We had plans,” his mother, Leonia Williams, told Observer Online. “I was supposed to bring home his stuff and he would come down a week later before leaving for Germany.”
“He was excited about going there and had been in contact with them,” she added.
The crash occurred just after 2 a.m. in Midtown Houston, when a black Ford F-150 allegedly driven by 21-year-old Rene Hernandez ran a red light while fleeing from a Precinct 7 deputy constable. Hernandez had reportedly already hit another vehicle and run several red lights before colliding with the white Lexus SUV carrying Burns and Flemmings. The impact forced their vehicle into a nearby building, where it caught fire.
“I’m sure when Mr. Hernandez left that bar, he didn’t think that he’d be involved in two murders,” Precinct 7 Constable James Phillips said. “To the young folks who are drinking and driving, don’t do it. Catch an Uber. Catch some mode of transportation, but don’t get behind the wheel.”
Authorities have said Hernandez will face two counts of murder, given that the fatal crash took place while he was allegedly committing a felony. He remained hospitalized on Monday.
Both Flemmings and Burns were members of the Alpha Xi Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. They were also active in campus mentorship programs—Flemmings with the Big Brother Little Brother (BBLB) Mentoring Program and Burns with the Collegiate 100.
Keanu Capers, Alpha Xi chapter Polemarch (President) of Kappa Alpha Psi at FAMU, described the tragedy as deeply painful for their fraternity and school community.
“It’s difficult, having these conversations with the families…seeing how the communities are affected at this time,” Capers said. “It’s not just the brothers, it’s the community as a whole. These individuals affected everybody.”
BBLB president Hanibal Grant saud: “Their genuine kindness and commitment to others left a lasting impact on everyone who had the privilege of knowing them. Their selfless spirits and devotion to community will always be remembered.”
Tributes have poured in across social media from classmates, fraternity brothers, and the broader FAMU community, honoring the lives and legacies of two young men whose futures were full of promise.
