Alexandra Dean: Recent nursing grad shot to death at party
The party was dubbed "Project X" on Twitter and Instagram, a nod to the Warner Brothers film of the same name. More than 200 people descended on the 200 block of Terrace in Miami Gardens Saturday night.
Music blared. Liquor flowed. By the end of the night, a black woman lay dead.
A recent Nova Southeastern University nursing graduate, Alexandra Dean was shot in the head and died at the hospital shortly after, according to WPLG TV.
Pastor Eric Readon of New Beginning Missionary Baptist Church told Miami CBS that he is "raising the reward $1,000. We’re going to keep sending a message to her killer that we’re going to continuously put it up until this killer stops.”
In total, the reward for information into Dean's death has increased to $4,000.
In an interview with Black Girl Tragic, Alexandra's sister said she was heartbroken that no one has stepped forward to identify the killer.
"I mainly wish one of the 200+ ppl that was there would come forward and point out the person who did this. One stray bullet is what it took end Alex’s life. My family needs closure. Alex lived at home with our parents so it’s really hard for them."
The older sister made a point to say that she believes the community has been supportive. "he Police Department has been supportive the Chief of Police went to my Parents home and the Mayor attended the candle light vigil and Both came to her Funeral. There was over 1,000 people at her funeral, with people in the parking lot."
Taylor Shaw, 23, a high school friend, told The Miami Herald that Dean was an awesome human being. “She was always there for you,” Shaw said. “She was just perfect.”
Dean's mother, Pauline Dean, told Miami CBS4 that she was just "devastated" over the loss of her daughter. She was actually in Jamaica burying her father when family called with the most horrible news a mother could hear: Your daughter has been shot.
“I had that child when I was 44 years old. When I was an old lady. So it’s like a friend, a companion, a confidant, everything. And I was so proud of her. I was surprised when they told me she was at a birthday party and they had guns,” she told CBS4.
While police have been mum on a potential motive for the shooting and whether they have made any arrests, there is an investigation underway, according to news reports. Witnesses on social media described running for their lives after a series of shots rang out inside the home.
More grim details also have emerged on social media.
Dean had her whole life ahead of her. She was a former bartender at Morton's Steakhouse, according to her Facebook profile. Several of her friends congratulated her on her nursing degree. Now they were mourning.
On Twitter, the hashtag #RIPAlex trended Sunday morning.
Her friends expressed condolences on Facebook and Twitter, calling her a sweetheart and angel. Indeed, Dean had graduated from nursing school in April, and was poised to enter the work force and help thousands of people.
A classmate at Nova Southeastern posted this on Facebook: "It's extremely sad to have lost one member of our nursing family last night. You were a beautiful, caring, smart, lovely young lady. I still can't believe a young soul with an entire life ahead of her is just gone. I'm so so sorry this happened to you ALexandra. We've lost someone that could've changed the lives of many others."
Alexandra Dean graduated from nursing school in April 2016. She died in June.
Another one said this: "My heart is broken, shattered no words... I just saw this beautiful young lady at her nursing pinning less than 2 months ago .She ran up to me in pure joy of her accomplisments. I couldn't be more proud of her . Please pray for her family and friends , this is going to be a hard one to swallow."
“God gave me Alex for 23 years and five months,” Mrs. Dean told CSBS4. “And I’m really happy spending quality time together. We did some of the best things together. We went places the other kids have never gone.”
A GoFundMe has been set up to help Alexandra Dean's family with funeral expenses.
