American Bakari Henderson was killed by a group of 15 men following an argument over a selfie in a bar on a Greek island, police said.
A confrontation began after Henderson, who was on vacation with friends, tried to take a photo with a waitress, and quickly escalated into a fight involving other patrons and two bar employees, the Washington Post told the spokesperson for the Greek police, Theodore Chronopoulos. Video surveillance shows the 22-year-old recent University of Arizona graduate was fatally beaten in just 30 seconds.
“They kicked and punched him in the body and head,” Chronopoulos said. “His death was due to blows to the head.”
Nine men were arrested and charged with intentional homicide, Chronopoulos said.
The fight took place during a party in a bar dedicated to Serbs. Chronopoulos said one of the suspects, a 33-year-old Serbian man, had argued with the waitress over the selfie. He also hit Henderson, who then smashed a beer bottle on the other customer’s table, Chronopoulos said. Soon, about 10 to 15 men chased Henderson outside the bar and immediately caught up with him. They left him lying on the ground after beating him.
The police account of what happened early Friday morning at a bar in Laganas, a tourist village on the island of Zakynthos, differs from the descriptions of Henderson’s friends, who said he was tending to his own business when the suspects started the fight.
Daniel Brown, one of three friends who were with Henderson in Zakynthos, told ABC News they were minding their own business and not talking to anyone when the suspects started the fight. He said they immediately began CPR on Henderson after the suspects left and rushed him to the hospital.
Travis Jenkins, another friend, told ABC News that Henderson was not the type to start or get involved in a fight.
“He was always the one who was a peacemaker,” Jenkins said.
John Gramlich, a childhood friend, agreed.
“It’s not at all in his character to be aggressive or to incite anything,” he told the Associated Press. “He’s always the guy who calms people down, really.”
Henderson’s friends did not immediately respond to Facebook messages seeking comment.
Jan Richardson, Henderson’s aunt and a family spokeswoman, said she has not received any details from investigators about what happened.
“There were a lot of rumors going around,” she told the Post. “We have no official information about what happened, other than, of course, that he was killed.”
Two of the suspects, a 34-year-old Greek bartender and a 32-year-old security guard, a British citizen of Serbian origin, were immediately arrested. Six others – Serbs aged 18 to 25 – were later arrested after being identified through surveillance videos and police searched the hotel where they were staying, authorities said. Photos and videos taken from Zakynthos show some of the suspects covering their faces as they were escorted by police.
A ninth suspect, the 33-year-old Serb who police say started the fight, was arrested Tuesday, Chronopoulos said.
It’s unclear if all of the suspects know each other, but Chronopoulos said the waitress may have known some of the men. He said Henderson’s friends were not involved in the fight.
Eight of the suspects were scheduled to appear in court Tuesday, but the hearing was postponed until Wednesday and Thursday to give their lawyers time to prepare, the Associated Press reported. A judge will decide whether they should be kept in custody while awaiting trial.
Five of the suspects are due in court Wednesday, where they are expected to apologize, Chronopoulos said. Three others will appear on Thursday. The ninth suspect arrested on Tuesday must be heard on Friday.
Henderson’s friends created a GoFundMe page to raise funds for his funeral and for transportation costs to bring his body back to the United States. More than $45,000 had been raised as of Tuesday afternoon.
“The love for this young man is overflowing and this loss is unbearable for many of us,” according to the page. “If you knew Bakari, you knew he was driven in life and that no goal was ever too high for him to achieve. He was just starting his life, there were so many dreams and aspirations to achieve.
Richardson said family members expected to bring the body back to the United States this week.
Henderson, an Austin native, was in Greece for a photo shoot to launch his new clothing line, his family said in a statement last week. He attended the University of Arizona on a full academic scholarship and graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in business finance and entrepreneurship, as well as a certificate in sports management. He also interned in the Texas Legislature, including in the House Speaker’s office, his family said.
“As you can imagine, our family is devastated by the recent loss of our beloved son Bakari Jaward Henderson,” his family said in the statement, later adding, “Bakari loved spending time with his family and friends. friends, traveling and meeting new people. He was a big thinker and loved starting new businesses. Bakari was an inspiration to everyone he met. He loved life to the fullest.
University of Arizona President Robert C. Robbins said in a statement that the school was “shocked and saddened” by Henderson’s death.
“Our hearts and prayers go out to his friends and family. I can only imagine the deep sense of loss they must feel following his untimely death,” Robbins said. “It is always a tragedy when a young life ends before it has truly begun.”
Pavlos Kolokotsas, mayor of Zakynthos, told Kathimerini, an English newspaper in Athens, that the island often attracts alcohol-fueled brawls. Zakynthos, the third largest island in the Ionian Sea, is known for its crystal clear waters, limestone cliffs and nightlife that attracts young tourists.
