A Marine veteran was fatally shot on a Texas road after finishing an Uber driving shift.
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office responded to a hit-and-run incident around 11 PM on September 4th, discovering 28-year-old Jake Hugh Kuok Nguyen lying injured about 20 miles from downtown Houston.
Upon arriving, police found he had a gunshot wound, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators soon initiated a murder investigation.
There’s uncertainty about whether Nguyen was killed at the spot where he was found or elsewhere. However, authorities suspect he may have been targeted by someone from a nearby apartment complex, as they noted tracks in the grass leading away from the scene.
Detectives also theorize that he might have been transported into position and abandoned by someone who drove away in his missing vehicle.
“He was on a rideshare trip that night,” his brother, Matthew Nguyen, stated. “He had picked up one passenger and dropped them off downtown. That was the last contact Uber had from him.” Matthew described his brother as the eldest of five, working hard to support their mother and sister.
At the time of his death, Nguyen was studying to become an EMT.
“It’s hard to wrap my head around,” Matthew said. “I had just spoken to him on Tuesday. He seemed to be making sense of things. And then, on Friday, we got this call…”
Uber’s spokesperson expressed deep sorrow over Nguyen’s death, labeling it a “devastating tragedy” and assured full cooperation with the ongoing investigation.
Matthew Nguyen expressed a hope that the person responsible for his brother’s death would step forward and take “responsibility for what has been done.”
A crowdfunding page has been established to help with funeral expenses, where family members remember him as a carefree individual who lived life to the fullest.
“He was a hero in many ways, and his legacy will continue through those who knew his adventurous spirit,” noted Tuan and Vivian Nguyen, the page’s organizers.
The Veterans Affairs Bureau is expected to support some burial costs as well.
Authorities encourage anyone with details about Nguyen’s case to contact the Harris County Sheriff’s Office or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 713-222-TIPS, where there’s a $5,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest.
