Beasts Of The Southern Wild Actress Jonshel Alexander Reportedly Shot And Killed At 22

Jonshel Alexander, former child actor in 2012 Oscar-nominated film “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” shot and killed in New Orleans. According to the Associated Press, police said Alexander was with a man inside a car in New Orleans’ 7th ward at 9 p.m. on Saturday when an assailant allegedly shot them both. The news site reports that paramedics declared Alexander dead on the scene, AP reports. The man, whose name was not released, drove himself to a hospital for treatment.

So far, investigators said they have located a vehicle of interest, a maroon truck that they suspect was used by the killer, per The Times-Picayune. Alexander leaves behind a 1-year-old daughter, CBS affiliate WWLTV reports. She was just 22. So far, police have released a photo of a person of interest; showing a Black male wearing a ski mask and are asking the public for help identifying and locating him.

At age 12, Alexander played the character Joy Strong in “Beasts of the Southern Wild.” The film won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for four Academy Awards, including best picture.