VALDOSTA, Ga. — A former high school soccer player at Paulding County High School was shot and killed over the weekend at the Valdosta area bar where she worked, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said.
According to the GBI, 21-year-old Brianna Long was hit by a bullet inside The Pier bar in Remerton, Georgia. She was closing up with another co-worker when gunfire erupted outside. Long was shot and taken to South Georgia Medical Center, where she later died, officials said.
Valdosta State University said in a statement that she was a fourth-year dental hygiene major at the school from Dallas, Georgia.
The GBI is investigating Long's death, saying so far it appears the shooting "stemmed from some type of altercation that happened outside The Pier."
"Many patrons were outside during the shooting and multiple vehicles were shot," the GBI said.
Paulding County High web pages note that Long was a player with the team who graduated in 2020 and, that same year, was named a regional winner for Positive Athlete Georgia.
"Our hearts are broken over the senseless loss of Brianna Long," Valdosta State said in a statement. "The death of a student affects the entire VSU community, and every member of our Blazer Nation family sends the deepest expressions of sympathy to Brianna's family and friends as they process this devastating loss."
11Alive's Brittany Kleinpeter met with Brianna Long's father Justin Long at the Clark Funeral Home in Hiram on Tuesday. He said their family is still in disbelief and just wants the community to know what an incredible person the world has lost.
The GBI said its will continue to look into the shooting.
Anyone with information on the case is asked to call the GBI Thomasville Office at 229-225-4090 or the Remerton Police Department at 229-247-2320. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online here, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.