A brother of one of the 5 victims gunned down by James Henderson on Cleveland’s east side in 2014 lunged at Henderson in court on Thursday. Henderson, 19, pleaded guilty to five counts of aggravated murder.
Delray Johnson, the brother of one of the victims lunged at Henderson after giving a victim impact statement prior to Henderson’s sentencing on Thursday.
Henderson did not react as court officers swarmed Johnson and dragged him from the courtroom. “How you gonna grab him like that?” cried Johnson’s mother. “How you gonna choke him like that? He over there laughing!” she said, referring to Henderson, who was removed from the courtroom.
The murder victims included Johnson’s sister Sherita L. Johnson, 41, who was pregnant with a boy, Juwan Johnson. Sherita was shot and killed as she pulled into her driveway. Her baby was delivered at a hospital and lived for 16 minutes before dying.
Her 2-year-old son who was in the car with her was unharmed. Sherita’s 9-year-old daughter was grazed by a bullet but she survived.
Prior to killing Sherita, Henderson entered her home and shot her 60-year-old boyfriend Lemon Bryant. Also killed in the home were Sherita’s 18-year-old son Ja’rio Taylor and his 17-year-old girlfriend Shaylona Williams.
After Henderson killed the victims, he callously went through their pockets looking for money and then sat down to eat. Prosecutors say he took pictures of the deceased victims and the crime scene.
Police found the morbid photos on his cell phone when he was arrested in May, 2015 at a McDonald’s restaurant in Cleveland.
Police also recovered the murder weapon tucked in his waistband.
Henderson was spared the death penalty. He is serving 5 life sentences in prison.
Click here to watch the the courtroom scene. Watch the full footage of Henderson’s sentencing below.
