Anthony Barajas Dies After Shooting at California Movie Theater During Screening of 'The Forever Purge'

Anthony Barajas, the 19-year-old TikToker who was shot last week inside a California movie theater with his friend Rylee Goodrich, has died from his injuries.

Barajas and Goodrich, 18, were attending a showing of "The Forever Purge" at Regal Edwards Corona Crossings before they were found by theater employees, both with gunshot wounds to the head. Rylee was pronounced dead at the scene. 

The theater was closed on Saturday with plans to re-open the very next Sunday, and declined to provide comment upon The New York Times’ request.

Witness accounts led the authorities to Joseph Jimenez. Detectives also served a search warrant at the young man’s home, leading them to find a firearm among other evidence related to the shooting, the police said. 

“Based on the evidence provided to our office, this appears to be a random and unprovoked attack,” Mike Hestrin, The Riverside County district attorney said in a statement. 

The 20-year-old has been charged with one count of murder with a sentencing enhancement of personal use of a firearm causing death, one count of attempted murder with a sentencing enhancement of personally inflicting great bodily injury and of personal use of a firearm causing great bodily injury. 

The District Attorney’s office has also filed a special circumstance allegation of lying in wait and is being held without bail, according to the statement.

The authorities said they were not releasing a motive for the shooting, and that there did not appear to be a connection between Jimenez and the victims.

Barajas was transported to the hospital and put on life support after the shooting. 

Malik Ernest, a friend of the late TikToker, posted on Twitter about Barajas’ “honor walk,” where he was wheeled to donate his organs to others after it was determined his brain injury was too severe for him to survive.

“Please continue to pray for his family and friends,” Ernest wrote.

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