Friends remember slain teen Rhiana Kemplin as 'a light in this world'

AVONDALE, Ariz. - Avondale Police are searching for the person who killed a 17-year-old girl in her apartment complex Saturday morning, Nov. 8, near Rancho Santa Fe Boulevard and McDowell Road.

We are learning more about the victim, Rhiana Kemplin, from those close to her.

What they're saying:

Friends describe Kemplin as being as full of life as it gets and someone who was always the person looking to include others.

While the community is focused on the homicide, friends want to focus on Kemplin and the positive light she brought into their lives.

Kemplin was unapologetically herself, according to her friend, Meryssa Perkins.

"She had a big ol' nose gauge," Perkins said. "She was all about 'just be you.' Because at the end of the day, if you're happy, it doesn't matter what anybody else thinks."

Kemplin, a senior at Agua Fria High School, was a proud part of the school’s band. "She was such a big part of the band," Perkins added.

Friends said she had dreams of going to cosmetology school, focusing on "makeup, piercings, jewelry. That's what she wanted to do," Perkins recalled.

Dig deeper:

Early Nov. 8, the 17-year-old’s life was cut short when Avondale Police said she was shot and killed. A neighbor, Jayda, reported hearing the incident: "I heard two shots. It was like bang bang. Then I heard screaming."

A GoFundMe account set up by Kemplin’s family said she was murdered in her bed while she slept.

"She was just a beautiful person. She didn’t deserve this. She didn’t deserve this," Perkins said. While friends and the school community struggle with questions about the homicide, they prefer to remember Rhiana's love and light. "She is a light in this world," Perkins said.

Map of the shooting location

What you can do:

If you would like to donate to Kemplin's GoFundMe, click here.

Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to call police at 623-333-7000.

Crime and Public SafetyAvondaleNews