Alashia Collins was a 17-year-old student from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on the verge of graduating high school and planning a career as a police officer. Family called her Lay Lay; her mother Nicole Collins described her as beautiful, sweet-hearted, and a mix of young energy with an old soul.

On the evening of April 22, 2022, Alashia was involved in a physical fight at the Broadmoor Plantation Apartments on Florida Boulevard. At about 6:52 p.m., as she tried to drive away, someone stood in front of her car while another person fired at her three times. She was taken to a local hospital and died of her wounds.

Baton Rouge Police identified and arrested two people in connection with the shooting: Joshua London, 23, and Queriana Richard, 20, who had been a friend of Alashia and her family. Investigators said London fired the fatal shot from a vehicle Richard was driving. London was charged with second-degree murder and illegal use of a weapon; Richard was charged with obstruction of justice. Nicole Collins has since spoken publicly about her loss and urged the community to address the root causes of violence and help young people learn to manage emotions.