A jury trial opened this week in Baltimore City Circuit Court for the teenager accused of fatally shooting 14-year-old Jasper Davis at Mondawmin Metro Station in July 2024, more than two years after the killing shook the city's busiest transit hub. Kendrick Henson, who was 15 at the time of the shooting, faces homicide and attempted murder charges tied to the confrontation, which also left Davis's cousin wounded.
According to Baltimore Witness, the jury trial began September 8 before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Michael A. DiPietro, with testimony expected to begin the following day and the proceedings scheduled to last five days. Prosecutors allege that Henson and two females had boarded an MTA bus by Mondawmin Mall before getting off, fearing that Davis and two others — who were wearing masks — would board the same bus. Henson and the two females then followed the victims, per the outlet's account of the case.
Court documents cited by Baltimore Witness describe Henson allegedly pointing a handgun at the face of Davis's cousin before Davis's cousin pointed a gun back at Henson. Henson then allegedly retrieved his weapon, and Davis reportedly jumped on Henson's back in an apparent attempt to disarm him during the struggle. Henson allegedly shot Davis in the armpit and continued firing at Davis's cousin, striking him in the shoulder, before Davis collapsed on the escalator at Mondawmin station and Henson ran from the scene.
Two Camera Angles Captured the Violence
Multiple videos captured the shooting from beginning to end, including footage from two camera angles at the top of the station escalator and one at the bottom, according to the same report. Video recovered from the MTA bus also showed Henson and the two females aboard after their initial encounter with Davis and the other individuals on Bryant Avenue. Investigators recovered six 9mm shell casings from the crime scene; per the defense attorney's account relayed in court, two of those casings came from Henson's firearm and four came from the firearm belonging to the shooting victim, Davis's cousin.
Davis's cousin returned fire during the confrontation and was later treated for non-life-threatening injuries at the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center, according to court documents. Davis himself was pronounced dead around 8:40 p.m. at Sinai Hospital, court documents state. Henson is accused of disposing of the weapon used in the shooting after fleeing.
Defense Points to a Third Person Police Allegedly Knew About
Defense attorney Lawrence Rosenberg argued that the case represents a classic instance of police rushing to judgment, according to Baltimore Witness's reporting. The defense has claimed police knew about a third individual involved in the confrontation but did not pursue that person's alleged involvement, and that one individual was seen fidgeting with their waistband in a manner suggesting a firearm. The defense account also states that police initially missed that the surviving victim, Davis's cousin, was carrying a gun of his own.
Henson reportedly said, “There they go. There they go right there,” in MTA bus footage quoted by the prosecutor, per the outlet's account. Henson surrendered to Baltimore Police on July 26, 2024, five days after the shooting, according to Baltimore Witness's earlier coverage of the case.
Years of Delay Before the Case Reached Trial
The case reached trial more than two years after the July 2024 shooting. Because Henson was 15 at the time of the alleged first-degree murder, Maryland Criminal Procedure Code § 4-202(c) did not categorically bar the defense from petitioning to move his case to the juvenile justice system, according to the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services. Separately, Maryland Code, Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 3-8A-03 mandates that minors aged 14 and older accused of first-degree murder are automatically charged as adults in circuit court, according to The Maryland People's Law Library.
MTA Police and Baltimore police officers responded to the shooting, according to Baltimore Witness's reporting. The station is the most heavily used transfer point in the entire MTA network, connecting the subway line with 11 local bus routes, according to RobbynLewis.com.
A Young Musician and a Corridor Under Scrutiny
Before his death, Davis had graduated from Montebello Middle School in June 2024 and was scheduled to begin his freshman year at Patterson Park High School, according to the Daily Voice. He was also an active participant in Baltimore's “Beats Not Bullets” youth music production program and had been recording music in the group's downtown studio just one day before he was killed, according to WBAL-TV.
A nighttime shootout near Mondawmin Mall in February left a 24-year-old man dead and three others injured, as Hoodline previously reported. Davis's death in July 2024 came during a year in which Baltimore saw a broader decline in homicides.
