Shooting victim remembered as a beloved staff member of Mayfair Elementary in Northeast Philly

A man who was killed during an ambush at his front door in Northeast Philadelphia is being remembered as a beloved staff member at Mayfair Elementary School who taught students lessons about fairness and having fun while playing.

Police have not disclosed a possible motive in Thursday’s shooting death of Bilal Henry, 33. Police were summoned to the Regency Town homes by 911 calls about gunshots heard about 11:30 p.m. and found Henry lying on the floor a few feet from his front door.

Henry had been shot in the head and torso and was pronounced dead, police said. Police believe that at least 13 shots were fired, according to a report by 6abc. No arrests had been made as of Sunday, police said.

According to reports, the shots were initially fired from outside the door and multiple gunmen went inside and continued firing. There was no indication that anything was stolen, police said. The home also did not appear to have been ransacked. Police were seeking surveillance footage.

Henry’s family, including his young children and his wife, were inside on the second floor. They said they heard a knock at the door and then gunshots when Henry went to answer it. The other family members were not physically injured, police said.

“For that to happen, when we’re upstairs — like, imagine the toll it takes on me and the children,” his wife, Sonya Henry, told Fox29. “He put his family first. He was always a family man.”

Affectionately known as “Mr. B,” Henry was employed by the Philadelphia School District and worked at Mayfair Elementary in the Northeast, where he had been a climate staff member since 2018, principal William Day wrote in a letter informing parents about Henry’s death. Climate staff focus on improving a school’s environment, from safety and security to a stronger sense of community. Henry supported younger students and the school’s recess, where he played basketball with them, Day said.

“Ours is a tight-knit community, and I know this is difficult news to receive,” Day wrote in a letter posted on the school’s website. “Death is rarely something that is easy to accept, especially when it involves a young person and particularly during these times as our city grapples with heightened gun violence.”

In a statement, the school district said it was heartbroken by Henry’s loss “as a result of the gun violence that is plaguing our city.”

”The ongoing gun violence in our city is absolutely unacceptable. We remain firmly committed to working with the Philadelphia Police Department and the City of Philadelphia to see how — together — we can better address the gun violence that is affecting our students and communities throughout the city,” the statement said.

» READ MORE: Philly’s gun violence declined in 2023. It still remains at levels well above the recent past

Day encouraged families to speak with their children about Henry’s death. The school district’s Emergency Crisis Response team from the Office of Prevention and Intervention will be on-site when classes resume next week, and counselors will be available, he said.

“We know that this information may be sad and confusing for many of our students, but I know that we will come together as a community to support one another during this time of unimaginable grief,” Day said. “He will be deeply missed and our condolences go out to his children, family, students, our staff and entire school community.”