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Former child actress Jonshel Alexander, who appeared in the Oscar-nominated 2012 filmBeasts of the Southern Wild, was reportedly shot and killed in Louisiana over the weekend. She was 22.
Police said Alexander was with a man inside a car in New Orleans' 7th ward at 9 p.m. on Saturday when an assailant allegedly shot them both, according to theAssociated Press,The Hollywood Reporter, andThe New Orleans Times-Picayune.
Paramedics declared Alexander dead on the scene, while the man drove himself to the hospital, AP reports.
The New Orleans Police Department did not immediately return PEOPLE’s request for comment.
At age 12, Alexander landed the supporting role of Joy Strong inBeasts of the Southern Wild, beating out some 4,000 people for one of the primary roles, according toTHR.
The film, focused on an impoverished bayou community located outside of New Orleans' storm levee system, was notable for featuring several non-actors native to Louisiana for the principal roles.
Beastswent on to nab top honors at the Cannes and Sundance Film Festivals, as well as four Academy Award nominations including one for Best Picture and one for star Quvenzhané Wallis, who became the youngest-ever nominee for a Best Lead Actress Oscar.
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Alexander’s mother Shelly Alexander said on Tuesday that theBeastsfilmmakers “fell in love with” her late daughter.
“She was like, ‘I’m going to be in this movie,'” her mother remembered, per theTimes-Picayune. “They fell in love with Jonshel.”
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Shelly continued, “She brought life to everything. Jonshel was feisty, jazzy, spoiled. It was her way or no way. Jonshel was like, ‘It’s going to be me.’ "
Beastsdirector Benh Zeitlin described Alexander as an “absolute one-of-a-kind, unforgettable, force-of-nature human being,” adding: “She was a really bright burning light.”
source: people.com
