The 18-year-old niece of “The Real” co-host Tamera Mowry-Housley was among the 12 people who were killed in a California mass shooting Wednesday night.
Identified as Alaina Punzalan Housley, the Filipina-American teenager was killed along with 11 others after a gunman opened fire at the Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks.
Mowry-Housley and her husband Adam Housley mourned the loss of their niece via a statement released to CNN.
“Our hearts are broken,” the couple said. “We just learned that our niece Alaina was one of the victims of last night’s shooting at Borderline bar in Thousand Oaks. Alaina was an incredible young woman with so much life ahead of her and we are devastated that her life was cut short in this manner. We thank everyone for your prayers and ask for privacy at this time.”
Earlier in the day, the couple had been using social media to find information about their niece after the attack was initially reported.
My suitemate is still missing, she is wearing denim shorts, a blue flannel and sneakers, pls let me know if you know anything #Borderline pic.twitter.com/t1nUHneChW
— Ashley (@amowreader) November 8, 2018
On Twitter, they found a young woman named Ashley who wrote about Alaina in a post, saying “My suitemate is still missing, she is wearing denim shorts, a blue flannel and sneakers, pls let me know if you know anything #Borderline.”
“Ashley this is her aunt Tamera Mowry Housley,” the actress responded Thursday morning. “Can you please DM me your information?”
Adam Housley, a reporter for Fox News who has covered mass shootings in the past, wrote a tweet asking for prayers for “My niece. A beautiful soul.”
Staying positive and praying and hoping and wishing there was more I could do. https://t.co/sp9I9dLXsq
— Adam Housley (@adamhousley) November 8, 2018
He also shared an image of their niece on Instagram, saying, “I really don’t know what to say other than I love this girl with all my heart and I’d give my life right now for a miracle. #thehousleys @alaina.housleyy.”
Tia Mowry, Mowry-Housley’s twin sister and former co-star, also shared a photo of them along with Alaina on Instagram. The image showed a younger Alaina in the bridal party at Mowry-Housley’s wedding in 2011.
Alaina Housley, a student at Pepperdine University, has been described by her Filipina grandmother as a “Straight A student who loved playing the piano and violin.”
Alaina was reportedly enjoying a night at the bar with her college friends when the shooter, a former U.S. Marine named Ian David Long, fired at random using a .45-caliber Glock handgun with an extra-capacity magazine.
Long, who apparently shot himself, was found dead inside the office of the bar at about 11:30 p.m. His motive remains unknown, Reuters reports.
Featured image via Instagram/adamhousley
