LOWNDES COUNTY, Ga. - Three months after Valdosta State University student Brianna Long was killed by a stray bullet, investigators are hoping for new leads in the case.
Long, a Paulding County High School graduate, was working her job as a bartender at The Pier bar in Remerton on Oct. 29, 2023, when her life was cut tragically short.
According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Long was shot while she and her fellow bar workers were in the process of closing the establishment. The gunfire erupted from an altercation that had unfolded outside the bar, and involved a substantial crowd of people, officials said.
Medics rushed Long to a nearby hospital, where she later died.
In December, the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office announced that a concerned citizen has offered a reward of up to $25,000 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of Long's killer.
GBI investigators say no arrests have been made, and the investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact the GBI Thomasville Office at 229-225-4090 or Remerton Police at 229-247-2320. Tips can also be submitted anonymously by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477) or online.
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Mom of VSU student killed by stray bullet: 'We're broken'
The mother of a 21-year-old Valdosta State University student, who was shot and killed at her job, says she is broken by her loss. Brianna Long was working at a bar in Remerton when she was struck by a stray bullet as she was getting ready to leave work. The mother of the Paulding County High School Graduate says she is flooded with emotions, including anger.
Who was Brianna Long?
Long graduated from Paulding County High School in 2020 and was attending VSU to become a dental hygienist.
"She was our world. She was a cheerleader her whole little life, Miss Paulding County, honors student," her mother, Brandi Spinks told FOX 5.
A representative with the university told FOX 5 that Long’s family will receive her Associate of Applied Science in Dental Hygiene during a private ceremony in the spring.
"That means so much. She was so excited and looking forward to graduating and moving on in life, to be independent, and we’re so proud of her," said Spinks.
A GoFundMe has been set up for Long’s family.