Bakari Henderson: Racism Investigated In Beating Death Of American In Greece, Police Say

Bakari Henderson was a 22-year-old recent graduate of the University of Arizona who had his sights set on creating his own fashion line. That dream was cut short, however, when a gang of men allegedly used brass knuckles and beat Henderson to death outside a bar on the Greek island of Zakynthos in the early morning hours last Friday.

According to CBS News, Bakari Henderson was visiting Zakynthos to do a photo shoot for his new clothing line. Henderson and his friends were drinking at a bar called Bar Code when one of the bar’s bouncers, allegedly angered by the group’s request to take a photo with one of the bar’s waitresses, approached their table and started yelling at them and smashed a glass. This resulted in an altercation, and the bouncer and a group of others followed Bakari Henderson out of the bar and allegedly attacked him using brass knuckles, leaving him unconscious in the street. Henderson was taken to a local hospital, but the severity of the injuries led to his death shortly after arriving at the hospital.

According to BET, the family of Bakari Henderson released a statement about his death.

“Bakari loved spending time with family and friends, traveling, and meeting new people,” the statement says. “He was a big thinker and enjoyed coming up with new business ventures. Bakari was an inspiration to all he met. He loved life and lived it to the fullest.”

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Because Bakari Henderson is black and his attackers are white, race is being investigated by local police as a possible motive in the beating death, according to BET. Eight people have been arrested thus far, including the two employees of the bar where the beating occurred. Two of them, including the bouncer, were employees at Bar Code. Kathimerini, a local newspaper, reports that six of the arrested men were Serbian nationals who were patrons of the bar. The bouncer involved in the attack is a British man of Serbian origin, while the bartender involved is from Greece. The men are being charged with voluntary manslaughter, but more charges could follow.

The tragic death of Bakari Henderson has left his family and friends devastated and searching for answers, according to BET.

“I remember my cousin Bakari as being a very, very smart young man who was well-mannered and polite,” Bakari’s cousin Tiara Henderson said. “He had a lot of friends of all races and family who cared a lot about him.”

Friends of Bakari Henderson have created a GofundMe as they try to make sense of their tragic loss.

JUST IN: Photo of Bakari Henderson, 22, who was beat to death while on a Greek island. STORY: https://t.co/eYFjESnv0k pic.twitter.com/kPobchPsx1

— KVUE News (@KVUE) July 7, 2017

[Featured Image by Bakari Henderson/Facebook]