18-year-old Rylee Goodrich was fatally wounded during a deadly shooting in California, United States at a screening of the film The Forever Purge. The alleged attack, which occurred earlier this week on July 26 as per reports, also left her accompanying friend and TikTok star Anthony Barajas severely injured.
As per reports from Los Angeles, the teen duo was at Crossings mall in Corona city to watch the horror-action sequel of the Purge series. Their bodies were discovered around by the movie hall staff cleaning up after the 9:30 PM film screening. Investigations in the case are on.
Employees at the theatre told CBS gunshots were not heard during the film screening and that if they were carrying a gun, they were "not sure if it just was missed" during security checks "or if it was in a holster on their belt."
Who Are Rylee Goodrich And Anthony Barajas?
Goodrich was a volleyball enthusiast and student of STEM at an Arizona college, while her friend Barajas is a popular TikTok content creator. His account, by the name itsanthonymichael, has a million-strong community on the video-sharing app.
Investigating officers said no gun was not found on the site of the incident. A motive, possible shooter(s) and whether or not Goodrich's death was a murder is being probed.
Corona police said when the 911 call was placed to them on July 26, information delivered from the theatre "wasn’t very specific."
As per reports, only six tickets were purchased for that particular screening slot for the film. "When there's only six people in a movie theater, to me, that's not what I imagine someone that's not going with intentions to kill someone to do," Goodrich's cousin has told media.
The shooting has left the online TikTok fan community in shock, especially since it comes in the wake of star Swavy too losing his life in a shooting in Delaware, US on July 6.
Of late, there has been a spate of influencer deaths owing to tragic accidents or suicides across the world. Earlier this month, creators Sophia Cheung and Xiao Quimei reportedly fell off steep heights to their deaths in Hong Kong and China respectively. More influencer deaths here.