Ryan Henderson Murder: Jackson State Football Players Beat Student Before Shooting Him, Victim's Mother Alleges

JSU Football Players May Have Beaten Student Before Shooting Him, Mother Claims

Nolan Ryan Henderson's mother says her son was beaten by more than a dozen Jackson State University football players before he was shot in the face over the weekend.

Henderson was shot and killed early Sunday at an off-campus pool party for out-going JSU football players. Police said they found Henderson's body lying on a walkway inside the Palisades Apartments, which is a short walking distance from the JSU campus. His death was attributed to a single gunshot wound.

Police are testing two guns that may have been involved, however, no arrests have been made. No motive has been released by Jackson Police Department detectives either.

Henderson's mother, Sanya, said she found out from other attendees at the party that her 19-year-old son was jumped three times at the party Saturday before the shooting actually occurred. The Clarion-Ledger reports the people who allegedly attacked Henderson were JSU football players.

"[Police investigating the incident] are doing very little with the football players," Sanya Henderson said. "They have only interviewed two of those players. They're saying they can't get the entire team down here to question them. I don't know why."

Football players declined to comment to the newspaper. The Clarion-Ledger was able to figure out via public Twitter messages that a number of JSU football players had indeed gathered for a pool-side barbeque at the apartments.

Henderson's father said to 11 Alive News that he was told his son bumped into a football player, attempted to apologize, and things escalated from that point.

Friends and family of Ryan Henderson gathered for a vigil to remember him on Monday evening.

"He was a good person, he wasn't ever the type to mess with nobody," said freshman LaShawn Rogers. "He was a good friend. I just want his case to come to justice, to come to a closing, so his mama and everybody can be happy about it."

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