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on September 05, 2013 at 11:14 AM, updatedSeptember 05, 2013 at 3:03 PM
NEWARK — The 14-year-old boy shot and killed in a Terrell Homes at Riverview Court courtyard Wednesday night had 30 bricks of heroin and a loaded handgun in his bedroom, according to law enforcement sources and police documents.
The victim, identified as Ali Rajohn Eric Henderson, had several prior arrests for drug possession and robbery, according to police documents and law enforcement officials familiar with the investigation who declined to be identified because they are not yet authorized to speak about the investigation.
His last contact with police was on Aug. 15, when he was arrested for possession of crack cocaine, according to the document, and he was also arrested on West Kinney Street in April for assaulting another high school student.
The shooting took place at 9 p.m. and was in the first courtyard at Riverview Terrace, authorities said. The boy was found lying on a sidewalk suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene a short time later, said Thomas Fennelly, chief prosecutor in the Essex County Prosecutor's Office.
Following the shooting, detectives from the prosecutor's homicide task force searched the boy's room and found 30 bricks of heroin, a loaded 9mm Smith & Wesson handgun and a box of .357 ammunition, the document said.
This morning, the victim's mother, Jennie Henderson, came out and stood in front of the memorial for few minutes eating ice cream and reading the messages written to her son. She was soon surrounded by a group of teen-aged boys, some of whom sobbed.
"I just want them to find who killed them," she said this morning. "He was just a baby."
Latoya Napier, who grew up in the neighborhood, said violence happens there frequently, but "it's normally the middle courtyard," Napier said.
Neighbors said the victim had planned to start the new school year at East Side High School today.
"A 14-year-old child being killed — that says it all," said a woman who asked not be named.
One woman said she heard the shots, ran into the courtyard and saw the teenager struggling to breathe with a wound to his chest.
A makeshift memorial has grown over the course of the morning at the spot where neighbors said the teenager was killed to include candles, teddy bears, balloons and a T-shirt people are signing saying "Rest easy, "Slim."
Star-Ledger staff writer James Queally contributed to this report.
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