A Louisiana State University student was shot and killed in her car early Friday morning.
via People:
Allison Rice, a 21-year-old senior marketing major from Geismar, was shot multiple times. She was discovered in her car around 2:20 a.m. just miles away from the Baton Rouge campus, per The Advocate.
Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome shared a statement on Friday following the news of Rice’s shooting, calling the violence “completely unacceptable” and confirming that the Baton Rouge Police Department is now “thoroughly investigating to bring the perpetrator to justice.”
“Our university community is an essential part of the fabric of Baton Rouge,” Broome wrote in a release. “It is of the utmost importance as we welcome students from across our state and the nation that we create a safe environment. I am coordinating a meeting with LSU and Southern University’s Presidents, BRCC Chancellor, Student Government, BRPD, and East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s office to discuss safety for all of our college students in Baton Rouge.”
In a Friday statement to multiple outlets, the school also encouraged anyone who may have additional information about the shooting to contact authorities. Neither Baton Rouge Police nor LSU immediately responded to PEOPLE’s request for more information.
“The LSU community is saddened to hear of senior Allison Rice being killed overnight,” LSU spokesperson Ernie Ballard said in an initial statement. “Her family and friends are in our thoughts, and we encourage anyone who may have more information about this crime to contact BRPD.”
Rice, who worked at a local barbecue spot called The Shed, was stopped at a train crossing at the 1500 block of Government Street in Baton Rouge, when witnesses tell WWLTV she was shot while attempting to make a U-turn. The shooting took place near the popular social space Electric Depot, where students gather late at night, the station reports. No further details were available.
“I just left the scene prior to coming here,” Baton Rouge Police Chief Murphy Paul told WWLTV. “Our detectives are out there canvassing the area. A lot of the investigative efforts that are going on behind the scenes. Very sad. Very sad.”
Shed co-workers told the station that Rice had a bright smile and was proud of her internship and how close she was to graduating. “It’s just devastating,” Chez Ciccone, co-owner of the Shed, said. “My staff, they’re crying. She was a part of our family.”
Rice, who Tiger TV reports was a former member of the Sigma Chapter of Delta Zeta, was remembered by LSU freshmen Avery Ruelet as not just her sister’s roommate, but a kind friend.
“She was the sweetest person I knew and gave me such good advice because I was a freshman, and she was a senior. She was so funny and made everyone laugh all the time,” Ruelet said.
Susie Rice Granier, Rice’s aunt, told The Advocate that her niece was a “free spirit,” and would often dance and sing. “The loss of a child, you can never get over that,” Granier said. “The holidays are coming up. It’s going to be sad. It’s going to be really sad.”
So sad.
