Family mourns 16-year-old killed in shooting on Reserve | Crime/Police

Aariah Henry was supposed to spend the night at a friend's house on Saturday.

But the 16-year-old East St. John High School student snuck out to attend a party, a common teenage offense that her parents say ended up costing Aariah her life.

The teen was shot and killed early Sunday morning when someone opened fire on a car she was in on the reservation, according to the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff's Office.

“She wasn't supposed to be at that party. She wasn't supposed to be in that car,” her grieving father, Clarence Henry, 37, said Monday.

St. John sheriff's detectives are still working to identify suspects in the case, Sheriff Mike Tregre said. Although the vehicle was targeted, investigators do not believe Aariah was the intended victim.

The shooting was reported on Airline Highway near Central Avenue on the reservation, Tregre said. Aariah was one of six people packed into a black Dodge Challenger that stopped at a convenience store just before 2 a.m.

The suspect vehicle, a silver Kia sedan, appeared to have waited for the Challenger to exit the parking lot, according to Tregre.

As soon as Challenger pulled away, the sedan began to follow and stopped next to the car before opening fire.

Aariah was the only person in the vehicle that was struck. She was transported to St. James Parish Hospital in Lutcher but died from her injuries.

“We think they were looking for someone else in this Challenger,” Tregre said. “But no one speaks.”

Aariah's family and friends are devastated by her murder.

“It took a toll,” said his mother, Bianca Bridgewater, 36, of Reserve. “We’re just trying to figure it out.”

Aariah grew up in Marrero, the only girl with four brothers, according to her father.

“She was my princess,” said Clarence Henry, from Waggaman. “She had a heart of gold.”

She was shy with a sweet personality, goofy, adorable and generous, her family said. Aariah's laugh was striking, her mother said. It started with laughter that grew louder by the second.

Aariah, a rising junior at East St. John High School in Reserve, developed a passion for fashion, makeup and hairstyling, Clarence Henry said. Her favorite color was dark purple.

Aariah wanted to join the US Air Force and become a nurse like her stepmother, Destiney Henry.

She also loved cooking. Aariah was still in the kitchen, Bridgewater said. She loved making spicy dishes, pastas, and avocado egg toast.

Clarence Henry's favorite dish was his daughter's chicken pasta. And his brownies, he said. Aariah had actually just bought groceries to make chicken pasta for the family for Monday night dinner, Clarence Henry said.

Aariah's relatives have asked the public to help authorities identify those responsible for her death.

“Make your peace with God. Get your life back. Surrender,” Clarence Henry said.

Although hatred did not consume him, Clarence Henry's grief was tinged with anger and frustration. Although kids will be kids, he said, he admitted to being angry at his daughter's decision to run away.

“Things can happen in a split second. Children need to listen to their parents,” he said, hoping a teenager elsewhere can learn a lesson from this tragedy.

Clarence Henry also struggled with feelings of helplessness. When Aariah was little, she called her father her Superman, a role he took to heart.

“I never wanted to let her down and I feel so bad that I wasn’t there to save her,” he said.

Anyone with information on the death of Aariah Henry is asked to call Captain Brandon Barlow of the St. John Parish Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigation Division at 504-494-2674. The public can also call Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111 or toll-free at 1-877-903-7867. Callers do not need to give their names or testify and can earn a $2,500 reward for information leading to an indictment.