Family of Forest Park High student claims school didn’t notify them after deadly shooting
By AVA-JOYE BURNETT
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BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Relatives described Laron Henderson as a “gentle giant.”
He is six feet tall, and was a “gentle kid,” family member Shanae Jones told WJZ.
Henderson, a 15-year-old student at Forest Park High School, was shot and killed in an alley less than an hour after school dismissal on Wednesday.
Family members identified Henderson as the ninth-grader who was another youth killed by gun violence in Baltimore this year.
He was shot around 3 p.m. near Liberty Heights Avenue and Eldorado Avenue about two blocks from Forest Park High School, police said.
A suspected shooter has not been arrested.
Family members said they did not receive a call from the school system to let them know that Henderson had died.
They said they found out when members of the public called from the scene.
Henderson’s family showed up outside the school on Thursday hoping their presence would bring some answers.
“This is not normal,” Jones said. “We have to stop glorifying this—this bullcrap, and we have to do something. Something has to be done and I’m gonna be the voice for his mother right now.”
This month, three teenagers were killed in Baltimore City. At least a dozen more teenagers were injured in shootings.
The family said they frantically searched hospitals for Henderson because the school didn’t call them.
“No one contacted,” Jones said. “We was running from the examiner’s office from Sinai to University of Maryland. So detective office, St. Agnes no one have a child, no one have this baby. So now he listed as a Jane Doe and he has a Forest Park shirt on on the ground. No one took the time to call this mother. That’s a problem with me.”
Henderson’s family was inside the school on Thursday while Dr. Sonja Santelises, the CEO of Baltimore City Public Schools, met with grieving students.
WJZ asked Santelises about the lapse in communication.
“It’s just challenging when it’s a homicide because a lot of it is police work, so a lot of the official contact comes from them,” Santelises said. “I spoke with the family and assured them that we will close any loops they feel were left open.”
Henderson is one of Baltimore’s youngest murder victims this year.
“We are committed to doing everything we can to keep young people safe,” Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison said. “We are committed, No. 1, why they think they should have a gun. We should change people’s minds which will take the community’s help.”
“People need to get their kids,” Jones said. “You need to have a talk with your children dying. Shooting and killing this is not normal.
WJZ obtained this letter sent to parents and families from the Forest Park Principal:
Dear Forest Park High School community,
On Wednesday, one of our students – Laron Henderson – passed away after suffering a gunshot wound a few blocks away following dismissal. Our thoughts are with Laron’s family and loved ones, as well as his friends and staff members here that knew him. He will be missed.
Managing emotions and feelings after a tragedy can be difficult, and we are here to help. The City Schools Crisis Team is on-site to provide counseling and support for any student or staff member that needs it. However, if you are uncomfortable speaking to someone at the school, please let me or an assistant principal know, and we will arrange for support.
Let’s stand together as a community to honor Laron’s memory and be there for one another.
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