Student-athlete and Philly resident Akyra Murray is the youngest victim of the horrific massacre that took place in Orlando, Florida this past weekend.
Murray, who traveled to Florida with her family to celebrate her recent high school graduation, visited Pulse Nightclub with her cousin Tiara Parker and friend Patience Carter. Both Parker and Carter are recovering from gunshot wounds.
Before dying from blood loss as a result of a gunshot wound to the arm, Akyra hid in the club’s bathroom and even managed to call her mother and speak with her.
“She doesn’t drink, she just wanted to have a good time,” Akyra’s mother Natalie Murray told Philadelphia’s NBC10. “We dropped her off at 11:30.”
At around 2am, Akyra sent her mother a text asking her to come pick them up and telling her that there had been a shooting in the club. Moment’s later, Natalie Murray’s phone rang.
“She was saying she was shot and she was screaming, saying she was losing a lot of blood.”
Akyra’s parents immediately drove to Pulse, and frantically searched for Akyra. They also visited several hospitals. Over 24 hours later, Akyra’s parents Albert and Natalie learned that she had died after hiding in the bathroom for hours, with a gunshot wound and no access to medical assistance.
Akyra had planned to attend Mercyhurst University on a full-ride scholarship for basketball. Her high school, West Catholic Preparatory in Philadelphia, released a statement following her passing.
“Akyra was a superstar who was a leader amongst her classmates and teammates,” the statement read.