On the evening of January 14, 2024, a Brooklyn, NY, subway train became the scene of a dispute that claimed the life of 45-year-old Richard Henderson.
The tragedy occurred on the Manhattan-bound No. 3 train near the Franklin Avenue station in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, around 8:30 p.m.
Richard Henderson, a resident of Sterling Place in Brooklyn and a father of three, was returning home after watching a football game with friends.
Henderson found himself in the middle of a heated dispute between two passengers arguing over the volume of loud music being played on the train.
In an attempt to mediate the conflict, Henderson was tragically shot twice, receiving wounds to his back and shoulder.
Responding to numerous 911 calls, officers from the 73rd Precinct and Transit District 32 arrived at the scene, where Henderson was found critically wounded.
Despite the efforts of the emergency services, he died from his injuries after being rushed to Kings County Hospital.
Henderson was the father of three and grandfather of two children. His grieving family described him as a man who “always wanted peace.” He was known for his selfless nature, remembered by his wife, Jakeba Dockery, and his older brother, Jermaine Henderson, as a good man who always sought to help others.
His family highlighted his love for the Philadelphia Eagles and his role as a crossing guard at a private school on the Upper West Side, a position he had held for over a decade and that reflected his nurturing and protective nature. Students there saw him as a loyal grandfather or father figure.
Anthony Williams, who was with Henderson at the time of the shooting, recalled the moment when the assailant boarded the train with loudspeakers blaring loud music. Williams narrowly escaped injury, ducking from a bullet aimed at his head.
The investigation into the shooting remains ongoing, with the New York Police Department searching for the perpetrator. Described as a man wearing all black and with dreadlocks, the suspect had fled the scene immediately after the incident.
A GoFundMe set up by students from Avenues the World School where Henderson worked has already raised more than $200,000 for Henderson’s family.