Former child actor Jonshel Alexander was shot and killed in New Orleans. Alexander, 22, was killed in Louisiana while she was sitting inside a car with another man. She was pronounced dead at the scene while the man drove to the hospital. Back in 2012, Jonshel appeared in the Oscar-nominated film Beasts of the Southern Wild. She played the character of Joy Strong. when she auditioned for the award-winning film, the director, Benh Zeitlin, said she was, "one-of-a-kind, unforgettable, force-of-nature human being." Zeitlin continued to speak on the inspiring impact the actress had, even at that age. "We incorporated a part into the film that was very much inspired by her...A lot of the lines were written by her, and so much of the character grew out of who Jonshel was. Her character in the film is named Joy Strong, which always seemed like a perfect description of Jonshel. She was a really bright burning light."

Jonshel Alexander was the youngest of three children and had a daughter herself. Her daughter, De-vynne Robinson, is only one year old. She had a life surrounded by love and family. Her mother, speaking to the The Times-Picayune/New Orleans Advocate, said, "She brought life to everything...Jonshel was feisty, jazzy, spoiled. It was her way or no way. Jonshel was like, 'It's going to be me.'" There are currently no suspects in the case of this tragic murder, but investigators are on the case. Our hearts go out to all of Jonshel Alexander's family and friends.

Tags: Jonshel Alexander Beasts of the Southern Wild