Camelback Academy community mourns loss of Amanda Franco, killed in shooting at a Phoenix party
Community mourns tragic death of Amanda Franco
The community is mourning the loss of 21-year-old Amanda Franco who was caught in the crossfire of a gun battle outside of a party in Phoenix. FOX 10's Lindsey Ragas has the latest.
PHOENIX - It was a typical night out with friends for 21-year-old Amanda Franco before violence broke out at a party on March 30.
Phoenix Police say several people started shooting. A teenage boy was hurt and Amanda Franco was killed.
We're learning more about Amanda as investigators work to figure out who shot her.
What we know:
A shooting near the intersection of 34th and Willeta avenues ended with 300 shell casings scattered in the area.
Days after the shooting, detectives are still collecting evidence.
There is a small memorial for Amanda, who was a nurse assistant at Camelback Academy.
"I just couldn't believe that she was gone," said her friend Serena Villalobos.
Franco, just 21 years old, had a full life ahead of her.
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The backstory:
Her career was just starting at Camelback Academy, the same place she went to school.
"Just recently, Amanda and I were able to get closer than we had ever been before. She became a colleague," Serena said.
Serena knew her since Amanda was in kindergarten at Camelback Academy and was there for some of her biggest moments, including her Quincenera.
"It was just an honor to be in it and she just looked gorgeous and the night was absolutely, absolutely beautiful," Serena said.
They would become colleagues in January when Amanda was hired as a nurse assistant at Camelback Academy.
"Words can't even describe how proud I was of Amanda coming back and into the education field, but also desiring to have a career in health and just reaching the needs of the students in the health office," said Villalobos.
In the short amount of time she was there, the message was clear - she cared deeply for the students.
Her ties to Camelback Academy go beyond her attending as a child.
"Her mother works here. She's worked here for over 18 years. She also has an aunt that works here and her cousin that works here who is her best friend. Her younger sister attends [the school] as well. She is in third grade," said Serena.
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Big picture view:
As her family makes funeral arrangements, police were seen on April 2 using metal detectors at the crime scene on Willeta and 34th avenues.
"Evidence can be in various places, sometimes places where it's not visible to the naked eye. So we are using every tool at our disposal to make sure we're making a thorough assessment of that scene investigation," said Phoenix Police Sergeant Phil Krynsky.
Hundreds of gunshots were heard around 2:00 a.m. on Sunday and Phoenix Police say multiple people fired guns.
Amanda died at the scene and a teenage boy was shot but is expected to survive.
"Imagine with the large amount of shell cases that were located, there were multiple firearms used. As far as the specifics of that, that's still something our detectives are still working to determine," said Krynsky.
What you can do:
Camelback Academy staff started a meal train for Amanda's family, especially her mom, who they've worked alongside for nearly 2 decades.
"Amanda was her baby girl. She loved her very, very much. In my eyes, it was like her best friend," said Villalobos.
Phoenix Police say they are actively looking into leads in this case.
If you have any videos of that night they ask that you share it with them through this portal.
In addition, There is a GoFundMe page set up to help pay for funeral expenses and a final farewell.