It has been just under 10 years since tragedy struck the Pace community that October night. Danroy, “DJ” Henry, a Pace student-athlete, was shot and killed outside a bar on Oct. 17th, 2010. Henry was shot by a Pleasantville Police Officer Aaron Hess, after Pace’s homecoming football game. 

Each year, Pace holds a memorial on campus in memory of Henry and his life. Furthermore, the clock outside of the Goldstein Fitness Center permanently reads 12, which was Henry’s football number. 

He not only has an impact on campus, but leaves a legacy in his hometown in Easton, Massachusetts. Earlier this month, NBC Boston announced that DJ Henry’s name was a candidate for a new elementary school salted to open in 2023. Henry’s name was one out of 10 candidates.   

Nancy DeLuca, the committee’s chair told NBC Boston that even if Henry’s name does not become the name of the school, there are other options within the town, as well as the school to honor his memory. 

“The gym here could be the DJ Henry Gym, if it’s not the DJ Henry School,” she explained to NBC.

Deluca stated that more decisions on the name would come on March 9, as the committee will be planning to discuss the 10 candidate names. 

In addition to the school name, the Henry Family created a DJ Henry Dream Fund in 2011, which provides children with scholarships to enroll in programs that they are passionate about. These programs can range from areas such as the arts, to athletics. 

According to DJdreamfund.org, it is about more than scholarship; “it is designed to empower young people to be the best that they can be in spite of their circumstance.”

As of 2010, the fund has provided over 7,000 scholarships for children.