A young woman was shot and killed in her car after witnessing an armed robbery in Albuquerque, New Mexico last Friday, it has been reported.
21-year-old Cayla Campos was with her boyfriend on their regular Friday night routine, which involved them getting in their car and driving to the park near their flat to play the popular mobile game Pokémon GO, according to local station KRQE.
Police have confirmed that just before midnight, Ms. Campos saw two assailants "committing a robbery against an unidentified party seated in a vehicle." According to her boyfriend's account of the night (via The New York Times), Ms. Campos started to turn her car around upon noticing the assailants, at which point she realised that one of them was armed.
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As she attempted to drive away, several gunshots were fired into the car, with one of them hitting Ms. Campos in the neck, causing the car to crash into a nearby home. Gilbert Gallegos Jr., a spokesman for the Albuquerque Police Department, confirmed that Ms. Campus was rushed to hospital, but died from gunshot wounds soon after.
"It boggles my mind," Ms. Campos' father Carl Campos said in an interview last night. "Most 21-year-olds are out at clubs. My daughter is out playing Pokémon GO."
"No parent should have to bury a child, it's not right. We really, really need to do something about getting funding for these smaller cities to help fight the crime because it ain't going away."
Ms. Campos was a dental assistant at Parkway Dental in Albuquerque, and wanted to be an oral surgeon, according to her father. He described his daughter as "amazing" and "irreplaceable," and thanked the thousands of people who had reached out in suppport via social media since her death.
The police have confirmed that no arrests have been made yet, and the victims of the initial robbery have yet to come forward - though detectives have received several tips and are currently pursuing leads.
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Pokemon GO developer Niantic released a statement shortly after the news of Ms. Campos' death. A spokesperson for the company said, "we want to express our deepest condolences to Ms. Campos' family and friends at this terrible time."
Featured Image Credit: Niantic/KRQETopics: Pokemon Go