Laken Riley, 22, was a nursing student at Augusta University's College of Nursing's Athens campus. She grew up in Woodstock, Georgia, and graduated from River Ridge High School in 2020, where she excelled in cross country and track. After her untimely death, Cherokee County school Superintendent Brian Hightower described Laken as "a shining light" and an "outstanding scholar-athlete" who inspired her peers and teachers with her kindness and love for learning. Laken was an active member of the Alpha Chi Omega sorority at the University of Georgia and was passionate about running, completing the AthHalf Half Marathon in October 2023. In the fall of 2023, she made the dean's list at Augusta University after transferring from UGA, where she studied until spring 2023.
In an interview with TODAY, Riley's father described her as an 'angel', highlighting her dreams of working with children. 'She was so full of life. I just hate that she was taken so early.' When asked whether he thought a difference in immigration policy would have made a difference regarding his daughter's death, Riley's father said he did not know.
