EXCLUSIVE | 'Whoever did this is still out there': Murdered Allison Rice's friend says gun violence has got out of hand
BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA: The senseless killing of Louisiana State University (LSU) student Allison Rice has shaken Baton Rouge to the core. Families are afraid of letting their children stay out after dark. Women have been looking over their shoulders in dark alleyways and deserted streets. The 21-year-old died after being shot more than 10 times while she waited at a train crossing in Louisiana, eating fries. At the time of the murder, she was on her way back home from a night out with friends.
"She was literally the light of high school," Rice's friend, who wished to remain anonymous, told MEAWW. "She was involved in so much and never failed to put a smile on people's faces. She was incredibly funny, always made everyone laugh. In high school, she didn't care who you were, she wanted to be friends with everyone. I am so thankful to have known her."
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"I cheered with Allie at Dutchtown High School since freshman year," she continued. "When my mom told me about her death, I was in complete shock. She did not deserve to die in such a terrible way." Rice was discovered dead inside her bullet-riddled car in Baton Rouge on Friday, September 16. She had been partying with friends at a bar on Government Street not far from the spot where she was killed. She was possibly trying to turn around at the tracks when someone shot her several times through her windshield.
"I do not know who killed her and but I think in the world we live in, thugs are not held accountable. They think they can do anything to anyone. She was doing nothing wrong, she was trying to get home but individuals who do not care about harmless Caucasian women stopped her from doing so," Rice's friend said.
"I have many friends of different races but the gun violence and the attacks have increased and need to be stopped," she said, claiming, "No one will say that there is a lot of gangs that are attacking White individuals, but I will, because another friend of mine was murdered by someone of the same character/gang. Allison's case was possibly a randon act of violence carried out by someone who cares about nothing but themselves. To my knowledge, Allie had no enemies. She was friends with everyone."
Speaking of the other friend of who died, she said, "My friend was at a bar, which my boyfriend and I were supposed to visit too. I was not there at the scene when the incident took place, but to my understanding, the bar was letting underage kids of all races get inside with guns. A kid was getting beaten up and my friend went to help him. They shot him twice in the chest and he died. In Allison's case, I believe the cops are hesitant to arrest someone of color with the circumstances that have been going on. I would like to tell the police to do everything they can to give Allie justice, no matter the political standpoints."
It is important to note here that Rice's friend's claims are only speculations and police have not said there is any race angle involved in the murder. Prosecutors believe Rice was killed in a random attack. "This appears to be a totally isolated, random type act," Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore told WBRZ. "It's way too early to tell. We never want to get out in front of the evidence and the facts of the case. Surely, that's not anything that's jumping out to me as a person that has done this for years."
"Allie died for no reason. An amazing human being who cared about everyone around her was senselessly gunned down. Whoever did this is still out there putting everyone at risk," said Rice's friend. "I do not feel safe. I went to hangout with friends and driving was scary. I was thinking about scenarios that could happen. I wanted to grab a bite to eat but was too scared to do so. I do not want to live here anymore because the gun violence and gangs have got out of hand. No one is held accountable, these groups need to be arrested and put away for life before another innocent life is taken."
Rumors that have been surfacing suggested that the murder may have been part of a gang initiation. Dismissing the rumors, Lt Kevin Heinz, who is the commander of the department’s Violent Crimes Unit, said, "We have zero indication that’s the case. If we had any indication that was the case, we would put it out there for the safety of the public. But as of right now, (based on) everything we see, I can confidently say that is not the case.”
While no arrests have been made yet, police have allegedly been flooded with tips about the identity of the killer. How credible the tips are, however, is unclear. The DA confirmed that multiple federal law enforcement agencies -- including the FBI, DEA, and the ATF -- have been brought in to assist in the case.