Heartbroken students at a Manhattan school are paying tribute to a beloved crossing guard, who was fatally shot on a Brooklyn subway after breaking up a fight – calling him a “hero” on a fundraising website for his family that has raised more than $31,000 as of Tuesday.
Students at Avenues The World School flooded the page with memories of Richard Henderson, 45, who was killed Sunday at the Franklin Avenue station in Crown Heights.
Henderson, a father of three and grandfather of two daughters, “was not only a caretaker at the school crossing where he worked tirelessly; Kaya was a guardian to all those lucky enough to know her,” the verified fundraising campaign page reads.
“Richard’s life was a mosaic of selflessness and dedication,” they continued. “For more than a decade, he served as a crossing guard, shepherding young lives to safety, a role that reflected his natural desire to protect and care for those around him.”
Heartbroken students at a Manhattan school are paying tribute to Richard Henderson, a beloved crossing guard, who was fatally shot on a Brooklyn subway after breaking up a fight. Handout
Both students at the Upper West Side campus where he worked and Henderson’s family remember him as a peaceful man always willing to help others — even toward the end when he intervened in an argument over loud music being played on the Manhattan-bound 3 train and death shot.
Tenth-grader Leo Prince, who started the fundraiser, told The Post via email that the students “adored” Henderson and are now grappling with what he described as a “huge loss for the entire community.”
“I hope that people in my school community, the Rich community, and just people who care about such a tragedy, finally give,” Prince said Monday night. “When we created GoFundMe, we set a goal of 10K. We are now at 12K. We have used Instagram and Snapchat to get the word out.”
Henderson, 45, was killed Sunday at the Franklin Avenue station in Crown Heights. Wayne Carrington
By Tuesday morning, 12 hours after its creation, the fundraiser was more than half of the new goal of $40,000.
Students and colleagues also shared memories on the page, recalling him as a laid-back crossing guard with “the most beautiful heart” in the comments.
“I first met Rich when I was around 7 years old, over 10 years ago. I just remember him as someone I always looked up to and someone I could easily talk to. My favorite memories of him include when he would play with us at the park,” Izzy Genin wrote on the fundraiser.
“When we created GoFundMe, we set a goal of 10K. We are now at 12K. We have used Instagram and Snapchat to spread the news,” said Leo Prince, a tenth grade student. GoFundMe
“Rich has the most beautiful heart, and anyone who knows him knows that. He may be gone but he is certainly not forgotten.”
Jessie Randall, designer of Loeffler Randall, paid tribute to Henderson on her Instagram story, writing, “This very special man is a beloved crossing guard at my children’s school.”
“I really hate guns. Life is so unfair. A kind person kills senselessly” he added alongside a photo of Henderson hugging a boy.
The NYPD is investigating after Henderson was shot on a train at the Franklin Ave subway station in Brooklyn, Sunday, Jan. 14. 2024. Wayne Carrington Students and associates also shared memories of Henderson, recalling him as a laid-back crossing guard with “the most beautiful big heart.” Handout
Another former Henderson student, Mya Cahana, said she has known the school’s beloved staff since she was 8 years old and first started at Avenues.
“I wore a Seahawks beanie every day that winter, and from then on he always called me Miss Seattle,” Cohana wrote at the fundraiser.
“I can’t believe Friday is the last time I will see him. He is a good person.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
