Man found guilty in shooting death of Bronx basketball star to be sentenced

One on one with the mother of Brandon Hendricks

FOX 5 NY speaks with the mother of Brandon Hendricks, the 17-year-old basketball star from the Bronx who was shot and killed on June 28.

BRONX - The man found guilty in the shooting death of high school basketball star Brandon Hendricks, is being sentenced Friday.

Najhim Luke, 22, was arrested back in July 2020 in connection to the unintended shooting death that happened in the Morris Heights section of the Bronx.

What happened in the Brandon Hendricks shooting?

On Jun. 28, 2020, police responded to a 911 call just before midnight about a male shot on Davidson Avenue.

Police found Brandon, 17 at the time, with a gunshot wound to the neck. He was taken to Saint Barnabas Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Brandon Hendricks was the leading point guard at James Monroe High School and had just graduated.

He was expected to walk-on for St. John’s University basketball team in the fall of 2020.

Najhim Luke, 22 was found guilty in the shooting death of aspiring basketball player Brandon Hendricks in the Morris Heights section of the Bronx.

Brandon Hendricks's family

FOX 5 NY's Lisa Evers spoke to Eve Hendricks, Brandon's mother, who said she worked 60 hours a week in order to support him.

The loss seemed unreal to the family, who was in shock at the time.

"I still knock at the door before I enter his room," his mother said in an exclusive interview. "I can’t sleep, my stomach aches, I have cramps, it’s terrible. A really horrible feeling."

Eve Hendricks, Brandon's mother.

When asked if she would forgive the suspect, she said that was between him and God.

"There’s nothing on earth or in heaven that will make me forgive that boy, nothing, nothing. That’s between him and God because he took away my soul, he took away my heart, he took away my life," Eve said.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.