A 19-year-old student from Houston has died after an accidental shooting while she studied at home due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The first person in her family to attend college, Laura Natalya Rodriguez spent the fall semester studying with Syracuse University online after moving back home because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Tuesday, police announced that Rodriguez had passed away following an accidental shooting by a relative in the home in north Houston.
She was found in a room of the house alongside her 18-year-old brother. It is thought that Rodriguez’s brother was showing off his new gun when the tragic incident occurred, and Rodriguez was shot in the neck.
However, there have been no charges made as of Wednesday, and Houston Police are continuing the investigation into her death.
Rodriguez’s older sibling tried to revive her by administering CPR following the shooting and alerted the emergency services.
Police and homicide detectives arrived at around 1 PM in the afternoon. Paramedics also tried to resuscitate Rodriguez, but sadly were unsuccessful.
According to Houston Police’s Twitter account, Rodriguez’s parents were also at home when their daughter was shot.
Police sergeant Matthew Brady offered condolences to the family, describing the incident as a “tragic situation.”
Syracuse University — where Rodriguez studied psychology — also shared the sad news with their students and staff via email.
In a message from vice-president Marianne Thomson, Rodriguez is described as an “outstanding student,” and students are offered counseling to help deal with the news.
Rodriguez’s family has paid tribute to her as a fun-loving person who loved to laugh. Laura Natalya Rodriguez‘s mourning mother, Laura Lara, opened up about being in a horrific nightmare — losing a child while living with another who accidentally killed.
An emotional Lara revealed: “They looked for each other for everything. They supported each other. They played around a lot. They enjoyed each other. I can only imagine what he’s feeling. But he’s just torn apart. That was like his best friend. That was his sister. It hurts that she’s no longer with us but what hurts me is that my son has to live with what he did.”
Lara went on to explain: “They’re both my children. Both of them I love the same. It’s hard. It’s hard on the family. But it can happen to anybody.”
Laura Natalya Rodriguez had spent time traveling in Europe and enjoyed going to Disney World. Her family set up a GoFundMe page to cover the funeral costs, and the fundraiser has already surpassed its original target of $10,000.
The funeral is set for December 30
