A mass will be held Monday to honor the life of a 17-year-old high-school basketball star and academic standout from the Bronx who was fatally shot last month.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic and the limit on indoor gatherings, the mass for Brandon Hendricks will be held in the chapel at Fordham Preparatory School but will also be available via live stream on the school's YouTube channel.
"We invite all to join us and pray for Brandon and the continued consolation of his family," Fordham Prep wrote.
Hendricks graduated from James Monroe High School in June, and he was due to attend Saint John's in the fall before his future was cut short by gun violence.
His death is part of a deeply troubling surge in gun violence throughout NYC since June, in a city already rocked by a pandemic virus and violent protests over police brutality.
The NYPD's shooting database logged 43 shootings last week, compared to 13 last year - that's a 231% increase. The department says 5 people were killed in those shootings compared to 10 last year. On Saturday, city officials launched a pilot program created to combat the rise in shootings.
Police have arrested 22-year-old Nahjim Luke in Hendricks' death. The Fordham Heights resident faces murder, manslaughter and weapons possession charges. An attorney for Luke was not immediately made clear.
Hendricks, who a senior NYPD official said had never had any interactions with the police in his young life, was remembered by his coach as both an athletic and academic leader. He was a point guard for the Eagles, helping them to the playoffs this season before COVID-19 interrupted athletics programs.
His social media accounts evidenced a deep love for the game, with his Twitter account full of highlight videos and reports of peers going on to college offers.
