Man is charged with shooting TikTok star and murdering his friend at California movie theater

A California man was charged with the shooting of TikTok star Anthony Barajas, 19, and the murder of his friend Rylee Goodrich, 18. 

Joseph Jimenez, 20, was arrested on July 27 after witness statements connected him to Monday’s deadly shooting, which cops say was unprovoked.

Corona Police Department officers were issued a search warrant for Jimenez’s residence in the 19000 block of Envoy in El Cerrito, Corona, California. 

Officers discovered a firearm and additional evidence related to the crime scene at his residence. Based on statements obtained by law enforcement, there is no known motive appearing to be an unprovoked attack.

Jimenez was booked on charges of murder, attempted murder, and robbery. He was booked at Riverside Presley Detention Center and is being held on a $2,000,000 bail, according to police reports. 

The 19 year-old TikTok star is on life support and his 18 year-old friend is dead after they were shot during a screening of The Forever Purge at an almost-empty California movie theater. 

Joseph Jimenez, 20, was arrested on July 27 and charged with murder, attempted murder, and robbery in a shooting that left a teen dead and a TikTok star on life support 

Rylee Goodrich, 18, was pronounced dead at the scene

Anthony Barajas, 19, sustained life-threatening injuries and is currently on life support

Goodrich and Barajas were watching ‘The Forever Purge’ on Monday when in a nearly empty theater when they were shot

 Anthony Barajas is critically ill, while his friend Rylee Goodrich died after being gunned down during a screening of the dystopian vigilante horror movie at Regal Edwards Corona Crossings in Corona, California on Monday night. 

Goodrich was pronounced dead on the scene from a gunshot to the back of the head, with Barajas rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment. Authorities said the two attended the movie together. It is not believed that they were dating as the teens both recently uploaded TikToks suggesting they were single.  

Corona Police Department say that no murder weapon was found at the scene of the shooting. They added that there was no surveillance footage showing anyone shooting the teenagers before leaving the screening room.

Just six tickets had been sold for the screening, with the youngsters’ bodies only discovered at 9:35pm after the film had ended, by staff who were conducting a ‘walk through’ to clean the theater.

It is unclear if the other four people who attended the screening realized what had happened, or if those moviegoers were involved in the shooting. 

Goodrich is being remembered by friends as a kind and gentle spirit

Goodrich is being remembered by friends as a kind and gentle spirit

She was found dead after the dystopian horror movie ended

She was found dead after the dystopian horror movie ended

A GoFundMe has been created to help her family cover funeral cost

A GoFundMe has been created to help her family cover funeral cost 

Goodrich was home for summer break from Grand Canyon University

Goodrich was home for summer break from Grand Canyon University

The 18-year-old was attending college on a STEM scholarship

The 18-year-old was attending college on a STEM scholarship

Goodrich is being remembered fondly by friends and family on social media

Goodrich is being remembered fondly by friends and family on social media 

She was a certified lash technician

She was a certified lash technician 

Barajas' GoFundMe page is filled with well-wishes and sweet memories of the friendly teen

Barajas’ GoFundMe page is filled with well-wishes and sweet memories of the friendly teen

The 19-year-old is recovering from his serious injuries at a local hospital

The 19-year-old is recovering from his serious injuries at a local hospital 

The TikTok star's most recent videos followed him enjoying a family vacation in Hawaii

The TikTok star’s most recent videos followed him enjoying a family vacation in Hawaii

A Corona Police Department said no arrests had been made, and raised the specter of more than one shooter being behind the crime.

Their statement read: ‘Detectives are conducting follow up on all investigative leads with hopes of identifying the person(s) responsible for this heinous crime.’

Corona Police Department Cpl. Tobias Kouroubacalis told KTLA that some evidence had been recovered, but did not offer further detail.

He said: ‘We don’t know what exactly happened in there.

‘We’re still taking a step-by-step process, going through every seat, going through every part of that movie theater to find any kind of evidence we have, and also asking for the public’s help at the same time.’ 

Goodrich’s cousin, Ashley Cole told CBS that the family is having trouble believing that the shooting was a random attack. ‘When there’s only six people in a movie theater, to me, that’s not what I imagine someone that’s not going with intentions to kill someone to do.’

Police are following up with the four other people who bought tickets to ‘The Forever Purge.’ Kouroubacalis told the Press Enterprise that he did not know if cops would be investigating whether the movie’s theme could be related to the shooting.   

The Forever Purge tells the story of Mexican migrants targeted by vigilantes during an annual US government ‘purge’, during which all crime is legal for 12 hours. It features frequent shoot-outs and violence, meaning the sounds of Barajas and Goodrich being shot may have been mistaken for the action onscreen by other moviegoers.    

Cops are keeping an open mind as to whether the shooting may have been connected to the violent plot of The Forever Purge, which the teens were watching when they were shot

Cops are keeping an open mind as to whether the shooting may have been connected to the violent plot of The Forever Purge, which the teens were watching when they were shot 

Goodrich, 18, was killed and a Barajas 19, was injured in a shooting at a movie theater (pictured) at the Regal Edwards Corona Crossings in Corona, California, on Monday afternoon during a showing of the horror film The Forever Purge

Goodrich, 18, was killed and a Barajas 19, was injured in a shooting at a movie theater (pictured) at the Regal Edwards Corona Crossings in Corona, California, on Monday afternoon during a showing of the horror film The Forever Purge

Gunshots rang out inside the theater at about 11:45pm while the film was being shown

Gunshots rang out inside the theater at about 11:45pm while the film was being shown

Cops said that the woman died at the scene and the man was taken to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries

Cops said that the woman died at the scene and the man was taken to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries

An employee found the teens while cleaning after the movie ended, the outlet reported. Cops have found no witnesses or surveillance camera footage indicating a possible suspect.

Employee Kailyn Dillon told CBS: ‘During the actual movie time, no one apparently heard the gunshot.’ She explained, ‘I know that we do have security bag checks that we do on the daily and, unfortunately, I’m not sure if it just was missed or if it was in a holster on their belt.’

The Forever Purge is the fifth installment in the successful Purge franchise

The Forever Purge is the fifth installment in the successful Purge franchise

It follows a migrant couple in a dystopian version of the United States in the year 2048 in which the government allows all crime for a 12-hour period - including murder

It follows a migrant couple in a dystopian version of the United States in the year 2048 in which the government allows all crime for a 12-hour period – including murder

This image released by Universal Pictures shows Leven Rambin in a scene from "The Forever Purge," directed by Everardo Valerio Gout

This image released by Universal Pictures shows Leven Rambin in a scene from ‘The Forever Purge,’ directed by Everardo Valerio Gout

DailyMail.com has reached out to the Corona Police Department for more information and additional comment.

Employees told the Press Enterprise that the theater was closed on Tuesday, and gave out free tickets to moviegoers. 

Goodrich was attending Grand Canyon University on a STEM scholarship. A GoFundMe page has been set up by Ashley-Starr Cole and Justice Burgess who say that ‘her kindness, and gentle spirit will be remembered forever.’ 

Friends said they were stunned by her violent death, and were mystified as to why Goodrich had fallen victim to such a horrific gun crime.  

Barajas is known online as @itsanthonymichael to his nearly million followers on TikTok. His last few TikTok’s followed him enjoying a family vacation in Hawaii. A GoFundMe page has also been created for Barajas by his family. 

His GoFundMe page is filled with condolences and sweet memories of the friendly teen. Tony Pan described his high school pal as ‘one of the most genuine person I ever met.’ 

Another friend Isabel Munoz remembers how Barajas helped her overcome her fear of stage fright.  

Investigators are working to determine if the horrific crime was committed by a random shooter who escaped the theater, or if the man or woman were responsible for the gunfire in a murder-suicide.  

The city of Corona sits about 50 miles southeast of Los Angeles. 

The shooting came just one week after the ninth anniversary of the 2012 shooting at the Century 16 movie theater in Aurora, Colorado during a screening of The Dark Knight rises. 

During that shooting, James Holmes set off tear gas grenades and shot into the crowd of hundreds – killing 12 people and injuring 70 others. 

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