NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – On Sunday, the community is coming together to remember Ashley Dominguez, the 18-year-old who was killed in a shooting along Murfreesboro Pike two weeks ago.
Dominguez’s family members are hosting a candlelight vigil on Dec. 15 at 3 p.m. on the steps of the Historic Metro Courthouse (1 Public Square Park).
They are asking for the public to join them to reflect on the loss of their loved one as well as support the 728 other families of gun violence victims in Nashville over the last decade. They will place white roses on the courthouse lawn - one for each life lost.
"One of the things that Ashley's mom wanted was that she wanted to get Ashley's story out so people know that Ashley's a real person, that they are real people, that this tragedy not only cut her daughter's life short and took a daughter from her but has sent ripples throughout her family and her community,” said Melissa Alvarez-Zabriskie, founder of the Tennessee Hispanic Action Network. “She doesn't want this to happen to other kids. Today it could be her daughter, but tomorrow, it can very easily be someone else's."
On Dec. 1, Dominguez was fatally shot at an ‘after-hours club’ in South Nashville. The Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) said a witness reported hearing a heated argument before shots were fired into a vehicle with five people inside. Dominguez was shot and two other women were hurt. They were transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center where Dominguez died from her injuries.
Detectives said they have interviewed multiple people, but the suspect remains at large. This is an ongoing investigation. If you have any information, you’re asked to call Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463.
"So many families are destroyed by somebody else's decision to pull a trigger,” Alvarez-Zabriskie. “It's also important to keep them in our thoughts and our considerations that the holiday season isn't always happy for everybody, especially families that have been that have been destroyed by gun violence."
Dominguez was one of seven siblings. Her hobbies included singing, dancing and spending time with her loved ones. She graduated high school in May and planned to travel the world, according to an obituary on the Simple Cremation and Funeral Services website.
“Ashley will forever stand in our hearts as one of the most strong and loving human beings to ever walk God's earth,” the obituary said. “Her perseverance, strength, love and selflessness to her family and friends is something that could never be replicated. The love that she left us with will forever have a permanent home inside our hearts.”
If you'd like to help the Dominguez family financially, you can donate on their GoFundMe page.
