A local community is mourning the death of a college student who was fatally shot while on spring break in D.C. on Monday evening.

Police officers found Ayana McAllister suffering from a gunshot wound around 8:40 p.m. in Northeast, less than two blocks away from Benning Road Metro station. D.C. Fire and EMS officials took her to a local hospital for treatment, but she succumbed to her injuries and died the following day.

Interim D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham said at a press conference today that police believe a group of youth gathered in a parking lot to film a music video before the shooting occurred. He said that shortly after the filming completed, “gunshots rang out and Ayana was struck.”

Another adult female was also shot at the time and taken to a local hospital with non life-threatening injuries, said Newsham, who has been nominated to permanently lead the police force.

McAllister is from Upper Marlboro, Maryland and graduated from Largo High School. Principal Dr. Afie Mirshah-Nayar posted what looks to be a yearbook photo of McAllister along with a quote from her that reads: “You gotta stay solid even when everybody else folds on you.”

Others have expressed their condolences on social media as well, including Tami Dalger, who says she is McAllister’s aunt. Dalger’s Facebook post says that McAllister “was a bright, intelligent and talented young woman. Beautiful inside and out. Our hearts are hurt beyond words. She will be missed with out question.”

McAllister was in the area on spring break from St. Augustine University, a historically black college in Raleigh, North Carolina. St. Augustine tweeted condolences to McAllister’s father, who graduated from the university in 1988, and her sister, Ndaja, who is a current student.

Newsham says police don’t have any suspects at this point but “we do believe that there were multiple people in the area at the time of the shooting who may have valuable information regarding this case.”

“Young people ought to be able to come into our community and enjoy themselves without being nervous that a gun is going to be pulled out and someone’s going to end up dead,” Newsham continued.

Largo High School is hosting a candle light vigil to celebrate McAllister’s her life on Friday evening, Mirshah-Nayar tweeted.

Filed Under: Ayana McAllister, benning road, fatal shooting, homicide, largo high school, shooting,