Family speaks out about daughter who was shot, killed at train crossing

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - Allison Rice’s family members are speaking out, asking the public to call if they know anything that can help investigators solve Allie’s murder.

It’s every parent’s worst nightmare.

“We were woken up with a ring of the doorbell, 4:45 in the morning, which you know is never good,” said Paul Rice, adding that the words coming out of the police officer’s mouth were “life-altering.”

“I hope no one ever has to get that type of wakeup call ever again,” he added.

Paul Rice and his family were told their precious 21-year-old, Allie, had been shot and killed near the train tracks on Government Street. It was just after two in the morning, and she was driving home after hanging out with friends in Mid City.

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When asked what he would say to the person who killed his daughter, Paul Rice said, “Why? Why, would you do this? Why, my sweet child who had her whole life ahead of her, who was doing nothing wrong? She is sitting there waiting on a train.”

Allie was a senior at LSU majoring in marketing. Having grown up in Ascension Parish, she graduated from Dutchtown High School where she was a cheerleader and on the homecoming court.

Besides her studies, family members say Allie was always hard at work. She worked at The Shed BBQ restaurant on Burbank Drive, along with several of her siblings and her step-mom.

Paul Rice said she was very goal-oriented and about to start an internship.

He says he was “absolutely proud of her.”

“I bragged about her every day,” he added.

Over the weekend, members of the community set up a memorial on Government Street to honor Allie.

Paul Rice explained, “We went out Saturday morning, and we put the cross up on the telephone pole, right there in that area, you know with flowers and stuff have been showing up around here. Her mom went Sunday morning to the site, we went Saturday, the cross was gone with the picture. I mean, who does that?”

The Shed BBQ workers are replacing the stolen cross at the site with another cross.

The Rice family says they have received a lot of messages and support from the community.

When asked what they would miss most about Allie, her stepmom Kay Rice said, “She laughed like a three-year-old Disney princess. No one laughs like her. It was my favorite thing at work when she came into work.”

The Rice family wants to remind the community, especially young adults, to watch for their loved ones and protect each other.

“None of us are immune to what happened to Allie last week. This could happen to any of us. The violence, the lack of care for life, the lack of concern for life right now. It just baffles me. You know there’s so much crime going in Baton Rouge right now. I mean, this has really opened a lot of people’s eyes,” said Paul Rice.

“Instead of Rice party of 9, we have to be Rice party of 8 because of someone evil,” said Kay Rice.

Family members are currently working on “Live Like Allie” yellow bracelets to hopefully pass out at future football games to college students.

RELATED: Memorial grows after LSU student shot, killed near downtown BR

Workers at The Shed BBQ set up a table with Allie’s photo and poster. Folks can go and sign the poster in her memory. They’re working on a fundraiser which they hope will take place soon.

The Shed is offering a $10,000 reward for a lead that helps result in a conviction in this case.

Family, friends and loved ones will gather to remember Allie on Tuesday, Sept. 20 at Ourso Funeral Home in Gonzales from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

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