High School Basketball Star, 18, Killed by Bullet That Entered Her Family's Home

A South Carolina community is mourning a standout high school basketball player who was killed Tuesday, April 29 after she was struck by a bullet that unexpectedly entered her family’s home.

Ja’Niya Richburg died around midnight Tuesday night after a bullet hit her through the window of her family’s home in Conway, South Carolina, according to reports by local WBTW, WMBF, and The Post and Courier.

Richburg was 18 years old. 

She was a senior at Loris High School and a member of the school’s women’s basketball team, according to the outlets.

“It is with profound sadness that we announce the recent tragic passing of one of our students. This event is bound to evoke a range of emotions within our entire school community, particularly among our students,” Horry County Schools told the outlets in a statement. “Ja’Niya Richburg, a senior at Loris High School, was known for her vibrant personality as well as her outstanding achievements in both academics and athletics. We have received limited information regarding her passing, and we will continue to honor the family’s privacy.”

The school district added that “the loss of a student impacts the entire school community” and said it will offer counseling services to students and staff members, according to the outlets.

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WBTW reported that Richburg was one of the most successful basketball players in the history of her high school, eclipsing 1,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds earlier this year — the first women’s basketball player to do so in the program’s history.

Richburg told the outlet earlier this year that she planned to attend the University of South Carolina in the fall as a pre-med student.

“It’s always been my thing since I was younger,” Richburg told WBTW. “I chose that because of the environment I’m always in, I want to go far and be able to provide for my family. I want to envision myself as the best I could be, you know, getting through school and having people to motivate me along the way. I should be okay; I have faith in myself.”