Parents of 12 year old gunned down outside Leavenworth pharmacy working to help troubled kids
By Taylor Johnson
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KANSAS CITY, Missouri (KCTV) — The parents of a Kansas City 12 year old killed by gun violence want to change the lives of troubled juveniles.
Project 9:14 was founded to honor the legacy of Brian “BJ” Henderson. with hopes of giving juveniles a better future.
Just last week a second suspect in BJ’s killing was convicted of first degree murder. He was a juvenile when Henderson was killed in Leavenworth last year.
Knowing this, BJ’s parents developed a heart to keep young people from ending up in the justice system.
“You end up in a situation as worse as ours you know, where you lose a life. It can be something as minor as a light offense, but we want to eliminate that whole process as much as possible, reduce the rate of repeat offenders,” said BJ’s father, Brian.
Project 9:14′s purpose is to give juveniles the chance to live a productive life and contribute to society.
The Hendersons also want to create juvenile probation reform.They say it’s important to them to bridge the gap between the court and probation for juveniles.
The foundation would provide programs related to gun safety, family therapy, suicide prevention and mentorship.
On Saturday, the Hendersons launched a petition to get Project 9:14 recognized by the state.
They’re off to a strong start with over 1,000 signatures. Their goal is 2,000.
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