The two teens at the movie theater shooting in Corona, California, were on their first date, attending a late-night showing of “The Forever Purge” at the Regal Edwards Corona Crossings.
Rylee Goodrich,18, was killed immediately by a bullet to the back of the head, her father David Goodrich told DailyMail.com, while TikTok influencer Anthony Barajas, 19, was taken to a local hospital and remains in critical condition.
Her father said that Rylee met Anthony at a party on the Fourth of July weekend.
“She met this guy over summer, I think at a party on the third or fourth of July. My first inkling, he was this TikTok influencer, and I rolled my eyes like, ‘Are you kidding me? Really, that’s your future?’ But her mom was very much, ‘Give the guy a chance,’” Goodrich said.
He went on to describe how he softened a bit when Barajas had brought him and the rest of his family a “bag full of souvenirs” from his trip to Hawaii.
“It was the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen an 18-year-old do,” Goodrich said.
He continued: “I could tell she really, really liked this boy. And he really, really liked her. She was so f—ing happy. They were so excited for their first date. She curled her hair all pretty. It was their first date that wasn’t a group of people.”
David also revealed that Rylee was texting her mom about the movie moments before the deadly shooting.
“She texted my wife how boring and stupid it was, how she didn’t like the movie. That was the last we heard from her,” he said.
Police believe the shooting to be random and that there was no motive for the fatal attack and that the suspect, Joseph Jimenez, 20, didn’t know the victims. However, Rylee’s wallet and other possessions were found at his nearby home, revealing that he might have intended to steal from the couple.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help Goodrich’s family cover her funeral costs.
The Corona Police Department is also asking for help from anyone who was in or around the theater between 9 p.m. and 11:45 p.m on Monday night. Those who have any information are asked to call their Anonymous TIP Line at 951-817-5839 or Senior Detective Slaven Neagu at 951-739-4916 or email him at Slaven.Neagu@CoronaCA.gov.
Daily Mail first reported this news.