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Family Rallies: ‘Ryan's Life Mattered'

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Nolan Ryan Henderson's family leads friends and supporters in a rally and march at Jackson State University.

Around 200 college students dressed in red gathered in front of Alexander Residence Hall at Jackson State University to remember Nolan Ryan Henderson, a freshman shot and killed after attending an off-campus party.

Henderson's younger brother, Damien, organized the impromptu rally last night mostly by using social media.

Henderson died early Sunday morning after he was involved in a scuffle, witnesses say, with members of the Jackson State University football team.

As of last night, the Jackson Police Department, which is handling the investigation because the shooting took place off campus, had no suspects. Henderson's family believes the school is trying to protect the football players.

"This is nothing new. This has been going on for a long time," said Nolan Henderson, Ryan's father this morning. Nolan Henderson said when he attended JSU in the early 1980s, university officials went out of their way to protect athletes.

Henderson added that he partly blames himself for his son's death. "I blame myself. He wanted to be like me," Henderson said. "I expected the university I attended to protect my child."

The Henderson family and supporters marched from the dormitory to the Palisades apartments, where the shooting took place, but encountered security officials who attempted to disassemble the crowd.

Relatives had to restrain Damien Henderson several times as he questioned security guards who said they were only doing their jobs in breaking up the group.

"You want to job now? Where were you Saturday when my brother got shot?" Damien asked as he choked back tears.

Nolan Henderson was equally defiant: "Let them arrest me. I want them to explain why they arrested the Henderson family for grieving."

Legacy Comments

The last name of the victim in the above story has been corrected.

DonnaLadd2012-03-28T11:20:20-06:00

Here's a gallery of photos from this morning's rally, by R.L. Nave: http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/gallery/?id=148

lizwaibel2012-03-28T15:04:18-06:00

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