Akyra Monet Murray

Akyra Monet Murray was an American basketball player for West Catholic Preparatory High School and the youngest victim of the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting at Pulse.
Background
Murray attended Bishop McDevitt High School until her junior year, when she transferred to West Catholic Preparatory High School. She first discovered basketball in the 9th grade, and despite discouragement, continued to play anyway. While on the team, Murray scored 1,000 points and received multiple All-Catholic honors. She had signed a National Letter of Intent to attend Mercyhurst College on a full athletic scholarship. She graduated from West Catholic Prep on June 6, 2016. When the shooting began, Murray had already exited the nightclub. However, Parker and Carter were still inside, and at about 2:00 AM, Parker texted Murray's mother, asking her to pick them up because "they" were shooting.<ref name="npr" />
Akyra ran back into the nightclub after realizing she had left both her friend and cousin behind, and after being informed of the shooting, ran into the restroom stall where the two others were hiding, along with 15 to 20 other patrons.<ref name="latimes" /> The group in the stall discussed whether or not they should attempt to rush at the shooter, Omar Mateen, moments before Mateen busted through the door of the stall. Mateen began to open fire and shot Parker, Carter, and Murray. Carter was hit in both legs and Murray suffered a gunshot wound to a major artery in her arm.<ref name="npr" />
After being hit, Murray pleaded with Mateen, saying "Please! I'm already hit! Please stop! Please!" Parker attempted to press her head against Murray's wound to stop the bleeding temporarily.<ref name="latimes" />
At about 2:12 AM, June 12, 2016, Murray's mother received a phone call from Murray, who was screaming that she had been shot in the arm and that she was bleeding out. Murray's mother instructed her to stay calm and apply pressure to the wound. Murray's mother was forced to hang up the phone in order to call 9-1-1, as Murray had asked her to.<ref name="abc" />
While in the stall, Parker, Carter, and others in the stall played dead. Those in the stall used a system of scratching and tapping to indicate whether or not they were still alive. When Parker attempted to tap the back of Murray's leg, she received no response at first. Parker then grabbed Murray's hand, and in response Murray attempted to clench Parker's hand back.<ref name="npr" /><ref name="npr" />
Death
Both Natalie and Albert Murray, Murray's father, waited outside of the nightclub from 2:32 AM, when they arrived from the condo which they had been staying in, to about 12:00 PM, when a hospital that Murray's parents believed Akyra was being kept in allowed Murray's parents to enter.<ref name="npr" /> Natalie searched Orlando-area hospitals for nearly 27 hours searching for Akyra.<ref name="abc" /> Late Monday morning, Murray's parents were informed by a hotline set up by Orlando city officials that Murray had passed away. Since she had been shot in a major artery in her arm and did not receive medical treatment for hours on end, she bled to death.<ref name="npr" />

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