NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Athletes took the field on Christmas morning to remember a former teammate.
The third annual "Chuy's Cup" tournament hosted by Nashville Knights FC honors the memory of 20-year-old Jesus Reyes.
Even on a cold winter day, the competition on the field was fierce.
Player Beshoy Morkos said the stakes couldn't be higher. For him, it's not about a trophy; it's for the cause.
"It means a lot to me. It means a lot to all my teammates as well to be out here. It's a bit freezing, but we're out here still working. We're putting a show for Chuy. Because I know if he was still here, he would love what we're doing. And I miss him a lot," Morkos said.
Metro Police said that on December 16, 2020, Reyes was sitting on the driver's side of his Infiniti sedan when a gunman approached his vehicle and fired multiple shots.
His 19-year-old girlfriend also suffered a gunshot wound but survived.
It's a tragedy still hard to process for those closest to him.
"He was a leader to the youth, and he played amongst his brothers during game days and then he worked whenever he was not playing soccer. He sold jerseys on the side. He worked with his hands. So, he was just a real hardworking guy," Coach Mwesi Kalugendo, said.
Two years after his death, there are still lots of unanswered questions.
"We are still waiting, but we know Chuy is watching over us, and we can feel his spirit for sure," Kalugendo said.
Anybody who knows anything about the case is asked to call police at 615-862-8600 or the tipsline at 615-742-7463.
