TikTok star among two shot during showing of ‘The Forever Purge’ at California theater
One of two teens shot Monday night at a California theater showing of “The Forever Purge” has a TikTok channel with nearly 930,000 followers.
Anthony Barajas, 19, known online as itsanthonymichael, is on life support. In addition to his TikTok channel, Barajas has an Instagram account with more than 41,000 followers.
Rylee Goodrich, 18, died in the shooting, Corona police reported.
The two were attending a showing of “The Forever Purge” together at a movie theater at The Crossings. Theater workers found them while cleaning after the movie, KCBS reported.
Police arrested Joseph Jimenez, 20, Tuesday night on suspicion of murder, attempted murder and robbery., the Corona Police Department reported Wednesday. Officers said the attack appears to have been unprovoked.
Police said they found a gun during a search of his home, which matched the kind used in the shooting.
“We don’t know what exactly happened in there,” Cpl. Tobias Kouroubacalis told KTLA. Police searched the theater Tuesday and recovered some evidence but did not find any firearms.
“The Forever Purge” is the fifth film in a terror franchise that began with “The Purge” in 2013, set in a world where all crimes are legal for 12 hours one night a year.
In the new film, according to its website, “members of an underground movement, no longer satisfied with one annual night of anarchy and murder, decide to overtake America through an unending campaign of mayhem and massacre.”
The theater had sold six tickets to the 9:35 p.m. showing that Goodrich and Barajas attended, police told KTLA.
“During the actual movie time, no one apparently heard the gunshot,” Kailyn Dillon, an employee who was not working at the time, told KCBS.
Goodrich was home on summer break from Grand Canyon University in Arizona, according to the station. Cousin Ashley Cole said her death has devastated the family.
“I know my cousin’s character, and she’s a good person and has a good heart and I would have never expected anything like this to happen,” Cole told KTLA. “I want everyone to remember Rylee as who she is, that bright, young girl, had so much of a life to live.”
Cole told KCBS that Goodrich had been shot in the back of the head.
“One of the most brightest, sweetest, kindness individuals i’ve met,” read a comment on a recent Instagram post by Barajas. “Sending prayers and love forever grateful for you.”
Corona is a city of more than 160,000 people in Riverside County east of Los Angeles.
Police asked that anyone with information contact the Corona Police Department at 951-736-2330, option 3, or senior detective Dan Neagu at 951-739-4916 or email Slaven.Neagu@CoronaCA.gov.
This story was originally published July 28, 2021 at 8:37 AM with the headline "TikTok star among two shot during showing of ‘The Forever Purge’ at California theater."