On a late summer evening in Little Rock, Arkansas, the life of 18-year-old Andre Pigg Griggs, a Black male, was tragically cut short. On September 13, 2021, a violent encounter at the Big Country Chateau apartment complex on Colonel Glenn Road would leave the young man dead and a community searching for answers. The initial call to authorities reported a disturbance, a fight that had escalated with the distinct sound of a gunshot piercing the air.
When officers arrived at the sprawling apartment complex, they were met with a chaotic scene and the grim discovery of a young man suffering from a gunshot wound.
Emergency responders worked quickly to provide aid to Griggs, rushing him to a nearby hospital in a desperate attempt to save his life. Despite their efforts, the single gunshot wound proved to be fatal, and Andre Griggs was pronounced dead, leaving his family and friends to grapple with the sudden and senseless loss. The Little Rock Police Department immediately launched a homicide investigation, cordoning off the area and beginning the arduous process of interviewing witnesses and collecting evidence. The initial hours of the investigation were crucial, as detectives worked to piece together the events that led to the deadly shooting.
The investigation swiftly led to a person of interest, and within a day of the shooting, an arrest was made. Little Rock police apprehended 21-year-old Donterrious Henderson in connection with the death of Andre Griggs. Witnesses at the scene were able to provide investigators with a description of the events that unfolded, detailing an altercation that preceded the fatal shot. According to reports, a physical fight had broken out, and it was during this melee that a firearm was discharged, striking Griggs. Following his arrest, Henderson was charged with capital murder, a testament to the severity of the crime. He was subsequently booked into the Pulaski County jail, held without bond as the legal process began to unfold.
