‘Why BJ?’: Family saw future greatness in 12-year-old bystander shot in Leavenworth

Everything on this busy Kansas City block is a reminder of BJ Henderson.

There’s the basketball court directly across the street. The sidewalks where he rode his bicycle. The empty rooms of the house where his laughter is no longer heard.

His parents worried for his safety in the same way many do. They warned him to be careful riding his bike near the street or practicing his backwards somersault on the trampoline. He was destined for and aspired to greatness, his father, Brian Henderson, said.

“Never did I ever imagine my son would be shot and killed,” Henderson told The Star. “Especially not at the age of 12.”

Earlier this month, the 12-year-old boy fondly remembered by his self-given nickname “Fam0us BJ” was fatally shot in the parking lot of a pharmacy and convenience store in Leavenworth, Kansas. Authorities there so far have charged one 25-year-old man and a 17-year-old in the killing.

As the days have worn on, the family is grieving the loss — he was the youngest of five, with four older sisters — while still coming to grips with the reality of his death. He was the baby brother his sisters always wanted, his parents said, and he developed a special bond with each of them that helped keep the family as tight-knit as they are.

“Everybody is trying to deal with it, grasp hold to it or understand; make sense out of it in their own ways,” Brian Henderson said. “And we try. We’re surrounded by a lot of love and a lot of family. But even with them, they’re even having issues with understanding: Why BJ? Like, why BJ? He was too great.”

‘Our son’s been shot’

The last day of BJ’s life began like many others. He ate pancakes for breakfast and reported to his sister that they were out of syrup. His mom measured his feet for a new pair of shoes. Everyone was laughing and joking around. He rode his bike outside.

Around 6 p.m. on April 14, he went into his parents’ bedroom and asked if he could go to the store with his older sister, Brooke Johnson, and a new friend of hers. His parents said sure. His mother reminded him of the chili she was preparing for dinner.

At 7 p.m., Monica Henderson, his mother, received a panicked call from her daughter saying to come to the hospital. She thought her son might have suffered an allergic reaction or was having trouble breathing. She tracked his phone to Children’s Mercy in Kansas City and rushed there with her husband.

Shortly after arriving, the Hendersons were kept by the entrance as they frantically sought answers. A nurse brought Monica Henderson to her daughter, who delivered the news: Someone had shot up the car.

“I just remember calling Brian because he was still in the entrance and saying: ‘Our son’s been shot! Our son’s been shot!’ And then I remember the doctors coming and saying that he didn’t make it,” Monica Henderson said, her voice buckling as she held back a sob.

“And then I can’t even remember after that.”

‘I want everyone held accountable’

Darvon Thomas, 25, was arrested roughly six hours after the shooting and charged with felony murder.

A 17-year-old co-defendant, whose name is being withheld by authorities because of his age, is accused of pulling the trigger.

The Henderson family would later learn that their daughter’s friend, whom they say she only met via social media a few weeks prior, had been accused of trying to facilitate an illegal gun sale in the parking lot of Kare Pharmacy in the 2500 block of South Fourth Street.

Thomas was allegedly buying a handgun from the friend of Brooke Johnson, authorities allege, when he discovered that he had been duped with a BB gun instead. Thomas allegedly ordered the 17-year-old to open fire on the car where BJ was sitting in the backseat.

Gunfire also struck a red sedan — occupied by a woman and her 6-month-old daughter — that was passing by.

Along with the pain of losing their son, the parents say their 19-year-old daughter Brooke Johnson is living with the nightmare of having witnessed her baby brother — described as her “twin” — die before her eyes. As they seek justice, they are calling for everyone whose actions contributed to their son’s death to be brought before the court — including her daughter’s friend who is accused of selling the gun.

“I want everybody that’s responsible for my son’s death to be held accountable,” said Monica Henderson, BJ’s mother. “And that’s in both cars. Period.”

“There’s no bringing back my son,” she added. “And I want everyone held accountable for their part.”

Beyond the criminal actions, his parents view lax gun laws in the area as playing a major role in their son’s untimely death. In the time ahead, the family wants to see policy changes that may lower the level of gun violence.

“This is a life issue. It needs to be dealt with immediately,” Brian Henderson said.

An aspiring NFL star

The Henderson family is now left with the memories of everything BJ wanted to become and the high hopes they had for him. He was an all-star junior athlete on the basketball court and the football field. And he idolized professional players like Lebron James, Patrick Mahomes and Tyreek Hill.

“He said that he wanted to be an NFL star,” his father said. “That was his goal.”

Brian Henderson said the family always sought to instill in BJ and the rest of the family the desire to be excellent academically and in their larger aspirations.

From the age of 2, his parents said he displayed a natural athletic talent. As a football player, he ran in enough touchdowns to earn the praise of other parents, and wound up receiving a scholarship to Kansas City’s University Academy.

Lamark Williams, BJ’s uncle and basketball coach, recalled one time his nephew arrived late for a game two years ago. The team was down 12 points before he enter’ed but wound up winning by 4.

On the team, he was viewed as a leader and encouraged those around him to be their best, Williams said. He would enter a team huddle when the chips were down and lift everyone’s spirits.

“He had a different swag to him,” Williams said. “An older swag.”

The family home is quieter now than it was only two weeks ago. Bobbi Hubbard, his oldest sister, is married with children but often comes by for visits. Whenever she came home, she said, her brother was always first in line for hugs and kisses.

“It’s a lot different coming in without him being here,” she said.

The Star’s Luke Nozicka contributed to this report.