UGA campus death: GoFundMe for Laken Riley's family surpasses goal
Laken Riley Memorial (Credit: GoFundMe)
ATHENS, Ga. - Support continues to pour in for the family of Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student from Augusta University who was killed Thursday at the University of Georgia. A GoFundMe created for the would-be 2025 graduate has already surpassed its goal, almost doubling the original amount requested.
Kanaan Rogers, a fellow nursing student, organized the fundraiser to assist Riley's family with the expected funeral costs, establish a scholarship in her name and "raise homicide awareness." The goal was $35,000. As of the writing of this article, the GoFundMe surpassed $64,000.
"No words can express the pain and heartache that Laken’s family and friends are experiencing," Rogers wrote about Riley. "She was a wonderful friend, sister, daughter, etc. who touched the lives of everyone around her. Her infectious smile and contagious laugh lit up every room she entered."
Riley's life was cut short during a morning run near Lake Herrick on UGA's campus.
RELATED: Who is Jose Antonio Ibarra? Man arrested for murder of Laken Riley at UGA campus
Police arrested 26-year-old Jose Antonio Ibarra from Venezuela. He's been accused of murder and entering the U.S. through El Paso, Texas illegally in 2022. His current immigration status is unknown.
Ibarra's older brother, Diego Ibarra, aged 29, was also arrested for possessing a fraudulent U.S. permanent resident card, commonly known as a green card.
RELATED: UGA campus death: Gov. Kemp wants answers about murder suspect's immigration status
Laken Hope Riley. Photo courtesy of University of Augusta.
More than 2,000 donations have been made to Riley's GoFundMe. Many have been anonymous.
FOX 5 Atlanta is working to learn more about this case. If you have additional information, pictures, or video email newstipsatlanta@fox.com.