Man sentenced to 25 years in prison for killing Bronx teen basketball star
NEW YORK -- The Bronx man convicted of killing a 17-year-old boy days after he graduated high school was sentenced to 25 years in prison Friday.
In January, a jury found Najhim Luke, 26, guilty of manslaughter and possession of a weapon in the shooting death of Brandon Hendricks in 2020.
"You are the worst monster. You're the devil's child," mother Eve Hendricks said to Luke at the sentencing hearing.
Hendricks did not hold back.
"I hate you. I pray to God every day to give me something to forgive you, but I cannot," she said.
Luke opened fire at people gathered for a barbecue on Davidson Avenue in the Morris Heights section on June 28, 2020. A bullet hit the teen and killed him.
Noel Ellison said Hendricks, his nephew, was churchgoing and had a bright future in basketball since he was accepted to numerous colleges.
"We ensured that we checked homework, we ensured that he got good grades, we ensured that he had adult figures behind him," said Ellison. "This gentleman owes our family a debt that he will never, ever be able to repay."
Luke did not offer an apology, opting not to speak. He mostly stared ahead expressionless.
"There's no words that can make up the loss that this family has suffered," Luke's defense attorney said.
Hendricks' heartbroken family took their pain and turned it into purpose by creating scholarships in his name, doing Thanksgiving food giveaways for the community and hosting a basketball tournament.
Ellison made a request of others and cited the proverb "It takes a village to raise a child."
"Become a villager, become a mentor. I challenge all young people, if you ain't got a mentor now, go recruit one," said Ellison. "This is a tragic loss all the way around for both families. There is no victor here."
Luke was also sentenced to 15 years for the weapons charge and five years post release to run concurrently with the manslaughter punishment.
