Paul Rice, the father of Allison Rice has said news of her untimely death has left the family devastated
The father of a 21-year-old college student who was shot dead as she sat in her car in Louisiana has said he believes it was a case of her being in the ‘wrong place at the wrong time’.
Paul Rice, the dad of Allison Rice said news of her untimely death has left the family devastated.
‘She’s not anyone that had enemies. We don’t think that she was being stalked or followed,’ he said to Fox News.
‘That particular area of Baton Rouge has a history of this type of activity.’
‘It should’ve never happened, this should not have happened, it should not have happened,’ Paul told WBRZ.
‘She’s a beautiful child. She had one year left to graduate LSU, she had her whole future ahead of her.
‘When you hear the words from the police man saying, ‘she’s with the coroner now, she didn’t make it.’ It’s the most devastating words you can ever hear.’
Allison Rice, 21, had been studying marketing at Louisiana State University and had been preparing for an internship before her tragic murder
Friends and family have laid floral tributes to her, as well as her favorite snacks, on the street where she was shot
A cross with Allie’s face in the centre has been nailed into a telephone pole close to where the student was killed
Allison had been on her way home from a night out with friends and was shot dead at around 2.30am on Friday near railroad tracks. She had been sitting in her car eating French fries at the time of the shooting.
The first time Paul knew something was amiss was at 4:45am when the police knocked on his door to tell him his daughter had been the victim of a shooting.
‘We woke up to our dogs barking and the doorbell ringing,’ Rice told Fox.
‘Cops have shown up in the middle of the night before for various reasons, things going on in the neighborhood and all, but when they asked, ‘Are you Allison’s father, can we come in, please?’ you knew at that point that it was going to be something terrible. I never could have imagined that the news would have been what it was.
Police rushed to the scene after witnesses reported hearing multiple gunshots at around 2.30am on Friday
Authorities discovered several shell casings close to her vehicle, as well as fast food in her lap, but nothing was taken from her car
Police responded to the scene around 2.30am and all that was left later that morning was a pile of broken glass after her car was removed
‘The only thing that I can really think at this point is it’s a bad case of wrong place at the wrong time.’
As of Monday afternoon, Baton Rouge police have not identified a suspect or a motive with detectives ‘at a loss’ to explain the brutal slaying of the student, from Geismar, who has been described as ‘bright and bubbly’ by friends.
‘This is being taken very seriously but despite that, all indications right now are there are no leads. They really don’t have an explanation at this point…as of now, in that particular stretch of town, they don’t have the surveillance that is necessary.’
Paul is now having to arrange a funeral for his daughter.
‘That’s something that as a parent I should never have to plan a funeral for my child. My mother should not have to be involved in a funeral for her grandchild,’ he said. ‘This is just heartbreaking.’
The Louisiana State University Senior was found in her bullet-riddled car in Baton Rouge after partying with friends at a bar on Government Street less than five minutes from where she was killed.
It is thought that she had been trying to turn around at the tracks when she was shot multiple times through her windshield.
Friends and family have laid floral tributes to her, as well as her favorite snacks, on the street where she was shot, and also put-up a cross with her face on a telephone pole.
Rice’s aunt Susie Rice Granier described the young woman as a ‘free spirit’ and said she loved to sing and dance
The student had been out with friends prior to the shooting and got stuck behind a train only a few miles away from campus when she was killed
Rice had been waiting for a passing train to clear the crossing when she was shot and suffered wounds to her arm and chest.
Authorities discovered several shell casings close to her vehicle, as well as fast food in her lap, but nothing was taken from her car.
Baton Rouge Police are investigating the shooting, with Chief Murphy Paul saying after the incident: ‘I just left the scene prior to coming here.
‘Our detectives are out there canvassing the area. A lot of the investigative efforts that are going on behind the scenes. Very sad. Very sad.’
Her family is pleading for answers from the police, and is begging anyone with information to come forwards.
Rice had been working as a bartender at The Shed BBQ in Baton Rouge, where she worked with her two brothers (pictured together)
Her parents are pleading for anyone with information to come forwards to help police with their inquiries
Sgt. L’Jean McKneely with Baton Rouge Police added: ‘Chief Paul has been working hard with getting the camera surveillance systems up, we have that downtown, were trying to push it and make it happen down to major corridors for Baton Rouge. Florida Street, Government Street.’
East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome added: ‘My heart goes out to the family, loved ones, and classmates of Allison Rice, a young LSU student who had her entire life ahead of her.
‘This senseless violence is completely unacceptable and Baton Rouge Police officers are thoroughly investigating to bring the perpetrator to justice.
‘Our university community is an essential part of the fabric of Baton Rouge. It is of the utmost importance as we welcome students from across our state and the nation that we create a safe environment.’
Rice’s death is the 74th this year in the East Baton Rouge Parish, and comes after a string of crimes against LSU students.
On August 19, another student was shot during an attempted robbery, and just days later two separate kidnapping cases happened on campus.
According to the FBI, Baton Rouge has one of the highest homicide rates in Louisiana.
Anyone having information on this shooting is urged to contact the Violent Crimes Unit at (225) 389-4869 or Crime Stoppers at (225) 344-7867.