Jessica Henderson filled her journals with dreams and plans for the future.
She loved searching thrift stores for colorful clothes and filling her apartment with crystals, plants and wildflowers.
When family members were nervous before going out, Henderson would invite them to raid her closet “before enthusiastically pulling outfits for them to try on.”
Those stories, shared by Henderson’s family in a Friday, May 15, statement, come a week after the 40-year-old Des Moines woman was fatally shot in downtown Des Moines in what her family described as “an act of domestic violence.”
In the statement, Henderson’s family shared a passage she had written about surviving abuse and wanting to help others do the same:
“My journey as a survivor shapes my mission to uplift others, a testament to my unwavering spirit … I am determined to create a world where survivors find their voices and strength, guided by compassion and unwavering determination.”
Victim shot hours after ex released from jail
Police said 50-year-old Abdul Jabbar Jackson shot Henderson in the 800 block of Tuttle Street on May 8 before firing shots at one of Henderson’s friends and running from the scene. He then shot himself. Jackson died at the scene from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to police.
Henderson died the following morning after being taken to a hospital in critical condition. Her obituary said she was “surrounded by her family and her best friend.” Police said her dog, shot during the incident, also died.
The shooting came less than six hours after Jackson posted bond and was released from the Polk County Jail. He had been held on harassment charges tied to threats against Henderson, who had recently ended a relationship with him, according to police.
Jessica Henderson remembered as ‘beautiful soul with the biggest heart’
In the days since Henderson’s death, her family has urged people not to define her by the violence that killed her.
“Jessica was not defined by the violence that ended her life,” the family wrote. “She was sunshine. She was warmth. She was laughter loud enough to change the feeling of an entire room the moment she walked into it.”
Friends and family described Henderson in Friday’s statement as someone people naturally gravitated toward.
They said she made others feel “safe around her. Seen around her.” They remembered her as someone who complimented “the smallest things about people that nobody else even noticed” and who believed “people deserved kindness, second chances, and unconditional love.”
“She was the person people called when they were struggling, celebrating, grieving, anxious about an event, or simply needing somewhere to belong,” the family wrote. “It did not matter where someone came from, what they had been through, or what others thought about them Jessica welcomed them without judgment.”
Her family said Henderson cared deeply about supporting women, survivors of abuse, members of the LGBTQ+ community and people struggling with mental health challenges.
“She believed deeply that every person deserved to feel loved, empowered, and accepted exactly as they were,” the statement said.
The family said Henderson dreamed of one day opening a nonprofit focused on helping women and girls feel “confident, beautiful, and worthy.”
The statement also described Henderson as “creative, vibrant, and unapologetically herself.” She loved “bright colors, sparkles, band tees, changing her hair on a whim, music of every kind, and dancing and singing loudly with the people she loved.”
They described Henderson as deeply attached to her dog, Trigg — her “sweet boy.” The family said sunsets, eucalyptus, lilacs, rocks and bright colors “will forever remind them of her.”
An obituary published by Merle Hay Funeral Home described Henderson as “a beautiful soul with the biggest heart” who “showed up for people without hesitation.” It said she was a published author with four books on Amazon and remembered her love for tattoos, music and kayaking.
A GoFundMe fundraiser created to help cover funeral and memorial expenses had raised more than $6,300 from 41 donations as of May 16. The fundraiser said Henderson had shown “incredible courage by reporting threats made against her after ending a relationship.”
“Despite her efforts to seek protection and safety, this unimaginable tragedy still occurred,” the fundraiser reads.
“Jessica’s story will not end with tragedy,” the family wrote.
“Her legacy will be love, acceptance, empowerment, authenticity, and the countless lives she touched simply by being herself. In the words of Jessica: ‘Peace out Girl Scout.'”
Henderson’s memorial service and funeral was scheduled for May 16. Family said those who knew Jessica or are fellow advocates or survivors of domestic violence are welcome to attend.
Nick El Hajj is a reporter at the Register. He can be reached at nelhajj@gannett.com. Follow him on X at @nick_el_hajj.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Des Moines woman killed in domestic violence was ‘beautiful soul’
Reporting by Nick El Hajj, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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