Dennis "DJ" Hernandez, the elder sibling of late NFL star Aaron Hernandez, has faced the music for his chilling threats to unleash a shooting spree on the University of Connecticut's campus. On Friday, February 7th, U.S. District Judge Sarala Nagala handed down a sentence that included the 18 months DJ, 38, had already spent behind bars, coupled with an additional three years of supervised release. According to a press statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, DJ's punishment also mandates ongoing mental health and substance abuse treatment, accompanied by electronic monitoring by probation officers.
DJ's journey into custody began in July 2023, shortly after he posted a series of ominous messages on Facebook, vowing harm or death upon three individuals, one of whom was a judge. In the same fateful month, DJ further escalated his threats, vowing to carry out a massacre at UConn. Court papers revealed that his vehicle was indeed spotted on campus in July 2023.
In DJ's chilling posts, he allegedly wrote, "I'd advise steering clear, for when I strike, I intend to leave nothing standing. Collateral damage be damned—I care not who gets caught in the hail of bullets." He continued, "For years, I've felt as good as dead. Now, it's time for others to face that darkness. I'm ready to sacrifice my life. If we don't meet again in this world, know that my love for you is eternal. Not all shootings are evil—some are catalysts for change."
In December 2024, DJ pleaded guilty to transmitting interstate threats of bodily harm. As part of his sentence, he is barred from stepping foot on UConn's grounds or any other locations he threatened. Reports indicate that DJ has since been freed from custody.
DJ is the older brother of Aaron Hernandez, the former New England Patriots tight end who tragically ended his life at 27 in his prison cell in April 2017. Aaron's fall from grace began in 2013 when he was arrested for the murder of Odin Lloyd. Two years later, he was convicted of first-degree murder and later charged with the double homicide of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado, though he was acquitted of these charges mere days before his death. Posthumously, Aaron was diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease linked to repetitive head injuries.
Their lives and legacies were portrayed in "American Sports Story," an FX miniseries that aired late last year. Starring Josh Andrés Rivera as Aaron and Ean Castellanos as DJ, the 10-episode series traced Aaron's journey from his upbringing in Connecticut to his college football days at the University of Florida and his storied career in the NFL. The show also delved into his arrest and the profound impact his highly publicized trial had on his family.
