Jada Henderson Remembered as Jackson State University Grieves Students Killed in Mass Shooting
“Our friend was here one minute, now she is gone,” Serenity Wilson told a crowd of roughly 200 people gathered under the glow of candles Monday evening.
The vigil at Jackson State University brought together students, administrators, and community members to mourn Jada Henderson, a freshman studying psychology, and Lovdai Poindexter, a 20-year-old student at Holmes Community College. Both were killed the night before Monday when two men in ski masks entered the nightclub and opened fire, according to Jackson police.
Campus Response and Canceled Classes After the Nightclub Shooting
The weekend violence also left six other individuals injured and hospitalized. In the wake of the tragedy, Jackson State University officials took swift action, canceling undergraduate classes for Monday and Tuesday while transitioning graduate courses to online formats. University President Denise Jones Gregory announced the closures through a social media statement, emphasizing that student safety and well-being remain the institution’s highest priorities.
The campus observance began at 6 p.m. Monday on the Administration Tower Lawn at 1400 John R. Lynch St., serving as a dedicated moment of reflection for a shaken academic community.
“When one of our Tigers hurts, every single one of us bleeds,” University President Denise Jones Gregory told the assembly. “To our students standing here tonight, I see your pain, I see your worry, I see your exhaustion and I see your grief.”
Investigation and Calls for Accountability in Jackson
As students leaned on one another and shared memories of Henderson—described by her peers as both lovely and feisty—investigators continued searching for answers. Jackson police confirmed that no arrests have been made and no motive has been identified in connection with the men in ski masks who entered the establishment.
Jackson Mayor John Horhn, who attended Monday’s vigil alongside Police Chief RaShall Brackney, publicly called for the nightclub to be shut down in a statement released Sunday.
Meanwhile, students expressed the deep, lingering trauma of losing a peer to gun violence. Ladorian “Gray” Shelton, a junior creative writing major from Jackson, noted that the tragedy uncomfortably mirrored past losses from his high school days. The university has encouraged affected students to utilize campus resources and counseling services as the police investigation moves forward.
