An East Mesa community is coming together after a tragic drive-by shooting.
Maricopa County Sheriff's officials responded to the call of shots fired at a home off Crismon Road and Balsam Avenue — right across from the Sonora Vista apartment complex on Tuesday night.
Sheriff's officials did their best to try and save the lives of the two victims who suffered gunshot wounds but were unable to save 27-year-old Brynn Murphy.
Murphy died on the way to the hospital. Her roommate, who's name has not been released, is still in critical condition at a local hospital.
Murphy's family said she was supposed to stay at a sister's place that night, but wanted to go home. She was watching a movie with her roommate when bullets ripped through the walls of their home and struck them.
"She was my leprechaun," said her mother Nancy Rowan. "She didn't hurt nobody, she didn't lie, she didn't steal. Brynn was innocent to everything. She didn't do nothing. Whoever did this deserves to go to prison."
Lyla Rabatine, a close family friend said Murphy had meant a lot to her.
"She walked into the room and brought a smile to everyone's face. She brought light into the room you know," said Rabatine.
Family and friends believed Murphy was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
"I think it was somebody else they were targeting and she just happened to be there. Either way they too somebody's life that day," said Rabatine.
Murphy's older sister Erin Murphy described her as one of a kind.
"It's very hard for me to deal with. I haven't really taken it that well," said Erin Murphy.
Those close to Brynn Murphy lovingly called her "brat rat."
"They need to come forward and quit being a coward and face what they did," said Erin Murphy.
The family is holding several car washes this Saturday and Sunday to raise money to pay for Murphy's funeral.
If you'd like to help the locations are:
- The Up In Smoke parking lot at Apache Trail and Merrill in east Mesa.
- The SkyLine liquor store parking lot at Crismon and Broadway street in Mesa.
- and the At Your Convenience store parking lot at Hawes and Broadway in Mesa.
Friends will be there starting at 9 a.m. and wash cars all day — as long as they keep coming.
A GoFundMe account has been set up to raise money for a memorial.
