A Philadelphia man convicted of aggravated assault and related charges at trial for a shooting outside the Target in the Shoppes at Springfield Park in 2024 was sentenced Friday to 6½ to 13 years in state prison.
Jihad Henderson, 38, is also facing murder charges in Montgomery County for a 2018 road rage shooting in Cheltenham. That case remains pending.
Henderson was found guilty in the Delaware County case on two counts of aggravated assault and one count of possessing an instrument of crime for a shooting in the parking lot of 857 Baltimore Pike on Oct. 13, 2024.
Henderson was charged following an investigation and turned himself over to Springfield police in November 2024.
Online court records show he posted $150,000 in surety bonds Nov. 7, 2024, but bail was revoked later that month and then reset to $500,000 cash the following month. He has remained in custody since.
According to information previously released in the case:
Police were dispatched about 4 p.m. Oct. 13 for a report of a shooting in the far rear area of the back Target parking lot.
Responding officers found the 27-year-old victim inside a vehicle suffering from a gunshot wound. He was treated and transported to a hospital by emergency personnel with serious injuries.
Springfield detectives Kyle Cutcliff and Robert Nutley responded to the scene with Delaware County detectives and learned a man driving a black Honda Odyssey pulled to the rear of the victim’s vehicle.
The Odyssey driver shot through the rear window of the victim’s vehicle, striking the victim.
A “be on the lookout” was issued for the Odyssey.
The vehicle was located Oct. 18 in Fairfax City, Va., being driven by the owner. A search warrant was executed on the Odyssey and police recovered evidence related to the shooting.
Additional evidence collected from the shooting scene led to charges being filed.
At trial before Common Pleas Court Judge G. Michael Green, Delaware County Detective Christopher Karr testified that the firearm, a Glock GMBH .40-caliber, arrived at Pennsylvania Training Academy Inc. on Jan. 17, 2017, and was sold to Henderson on Jan. 19, 2017, according to firearm trace info.
Detective Louis Grandizio testified that two fired cartridge casings and a bullet specimen he had been provided were all fired by the same unknown firearm, likely a Glock .40 caliber or 10 mm, and submitted the characteristics of that evidence to the National Integrated Ballistics Identification Network, which he described as essentially a fingerprint database for ballistics evidence.
During cross-examination by Assistant District Attorney Brian Denk April 24, Henderson acknowledged firing at the victim, but said he threw the gun away.
“I trashed it that night,” Henderson said.
“Where?” asked Denk.
“In the trash.”
“What trash?”
“I put it out in the trash at home. I put it out in the trash. I got rid of it.”
“But that was your gun since 2017?” Denk asked.
“Yes,” Henderson said.
“And you kept it the whole time?”
“Yes.”
“You didn’t, like, give it to other people, correct?” Denk asked.
“No,” Henderson replied.
Henderson was acquitted on one count of attempted murder, but convicted on two counts of aggravated assault, one count of simple assault and one count of possessing an instrument of crime.
His admission to continually owning the firearm since buying it in January 2017 along with ballistics evidence prompted charges against Henderson in the death of 29-year-old Rithina Torn, who was fatally shot during a road rage incident at Dewey Road and Front Street in Melrose Park on Oct. 15, 2018.
Assistant District Attorney Rachel Sweeney, standing in for Denk at sentencing, argued 10 to 20 years Friday in the Target parking lot shooting, which is in the aggravated range of sentencing guidelines.
She noted Henderson had moved his car to block the victim into a parking space, then shot him from behind through the rear window, striking him in the neck. The victim had reportedly stared at Henderson and moved his own car into that space while following the defendant earlier, but Sweeney said his shooting the other man from behind was an immense overreaction.
“No one got out of their car. No one exchanged words. No one did anything that would reasonably make the defendant believe that his life was in danger,” Sweeney said. “(The victim) was unarmed and he was facing away from the defendant when he was shot in the back.”
Sweeney added that Henderson had shown an utter disregard for anyone else in the parking lot that he also might have struck. Henderson then left the scene and the victim bleeding out in the car without calling for any kind of help.
The victim’s sister also read a letter from her brother in which he described previously having an active social life that included dancing and fitness, as well as a 10-year career as a cosmetologist. He now has limited mobility and is trying to relearn how to work and stay fit, though it has been a struggle due to his injuries.
“I know things like this don’t get better overnight, so I’m prepared to work hard every day to get back to the old me and as close to 100% as possible,” he said, thanking the investigators and prosecutors who worked on his case.
In his arguments, defense counsel David Nenner said the victim’s vehicle was facing a wooded area, so there really was not much danger of other people being hit by errant bullets.
He noted the jury had acquitted Henderson of an attempted murder charge and that Henderson has been a model citizen for most of his life. He said 10 to 20 years was excessive and suggested 3 to 6 years would be more appropriate.
Henderson also offered his own prayers for the victim and his family, and said he hopes he makes a full recovery.
In addition to prison time, Henderson will have to serve three years of consecutive probation and pay a restitution amount to be determined at a later date. He will also have to pay $4,361 in fees, stay away from the victim and provide a DNA sample to state police.
Henderson is not eligible for early release but was given credit for time served.