Nigerian athlete Oluwabukola Pereira was shot and k!lled during an alleged robbery at an auto repair shop in Lockland, Ohio.
The attacker k!lled the 30-year-old middle-distance runner who worked as a cashier at the auto repair shop. A coworker claims the attacker stole $1,500.
A few days before her death, Pereira, an MBA student at Xavier University, was about to graduate.
Although the shooting occurred on May 8, the local authorities are still looking into it and have not yet formally confirmed a motive.
Pereira was shot twice while trying to pursue the thief, according to coworker Don Simpson.
After the man entered and stole from her, she fled after him. The coworker said, "And he shot her when they got to the back."
Pereira was born in Lagos, Nigeria, and before relocating to the US, she participated in a few national competitions.
Periera came to the United States with just $10 and a scholarship, according to James Lafferty, the guy who found her and sponsored her immigration.
While working in Lagos, Lafferty, a former CEO of Coca-Cola West Africa, saw Pereira's potential.
Pereira graduated from Southwest Baptist University with a bachelor's degree and then from the University of Texas at El Paso with a master's in communication.