John Gramlich(NEW YORK) — Friends of an American tourist beaten to death outside a bar on an island in Greece recalled him as someone who “was going to do a lot of great things” and said “everyone wants answers” as to how he died.
Bakari Henderson, a 22-year-old recent graduate of the University of Arizona, was at a bar on the Greek island of Zakynthos when a fight broke out with another group of people on Friday around 3 a.m. local time, according to police there.
The fight escalated into a brawl, and Henderson was battered to death in the street, police said.
Henderson’s friend, Travis Jenkins, recalled him as someone with a bright future.
“He was a big thinker. He loved big ideas and he was going to do a lot of great things,” Jenkins told ABC News.
John Gramlich, a childhood friend of Henderson’s, said he is still shocked by his violent end.
“The fact that it’s one of our best friends who is one of the most outgoing and easy persons to get along with — it just doesn’t feel real, and I still cannot believe what happened,” Gramlich said.
“The right thing we need to do is remember the really positive memories we had with him, and obviously everyone wants answers and wants people to pay for what they did,” Gramlich added.
Henderson’s family said in a statement, “Bakari was an inspiration to all he met. He loved life and lived it to the fullest.”
Jordan Zylberberg, a friend of Henderson’s from high school, said he believes Henderson would not want to let what happened to him discourage others from traveling.
“If Bakari were here he would say you can’t think about it that way, traveling is beautiful,” Zylberberg said. “He loved to travel more than anything, and I don’t think he would want people to look at this and take that away.”
A memorial service will be held for Henderson in Austin, Texas, on Friday, followed by a funeral on Saturday.
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