UPDATE: Second victim, rising TikTok star Anthony Barajas, dies after shooting inside Corona movie theater

July 29, 2021 Trevor Montgomery

UPDATED: Saturday, July 31, 1:30 p.m.

See Original Story below.

CORONA, Calif., — Officials today were saddened to announce that Anthony Barajas, a 19-year-old rising TikTok star with nearly a million followers worldwide – who was gunned down while watching a movie with a friend last Monday night, succumbed to his injuries and passed away early this morning. Officials have described the shooting as an “unprovoked attack”, and the victim had lingered in a coma and on life support since the shooting, before passing away today.

His companion that evening, Barajas’s 18-year-old girlfriend, Rylee Goodrich, passed away at the scene of the shooting. The fatal encounter happened at Regal Edwards 18 at the Corona Crossings during a 9:35 p.m. showing of The Forever Purge, a movie about a 12-hour window of time when all crimes – including murder – are deemed legal.

Officials have since reported that Goodrich was shot in the back of the head while Barajas was shot in the eye. Officials have also said that while serving a search warrant at the suspect’s residence, detectives investigating the shootings discovered Goodrich’s wallet and other possessions inside his residence.

Although officials initially reported having no leads and no suspect details in a double shooting that left 18-year-old Rylee Goodrich dead and 19-year-old TikTok star Anthony Barajas (L) critically injured in Corona, they quickly developed leads and gathered information that led them to arresting 20-year-old, Joseph Jimenez, (R) for the shootings. Corona PD photo

“The Corona Police Department has been notified that Anthony Barajas passed away early this morning,” Corona PD officials updated in their most recent social media release regarding the now double fatal shooting.

“We extend our thoughts and condolences to his family and friends,” they continued.

“The Corona Police Department is working with the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office to add an additional count of first-degree murder against Joseph Jimenez,” added officials; who had no further information or details to report.

Rylee Goodrich, 18, of Corona was one of two people who died after being gunned down inside a Corona movie theater last Monday. During the suspect’s first court hearing, her distraught father angrily confronted the gunman, who glanced in the dad’s direction but made no comment.

Meanwhile the suspect, Joseph Jimenez, 20, of the unincorporated Corona community of El Cerrito, was seen in court yesterday morning; where Goodrich’s father angrily confronted him as he was being led into the courtroom in handcuffs and leg shackles.

“Hey, look at me, bro! Look at me! Look at me, dude! That was my …” the distraught father yelled before breaking down in tears and being comforted by a friend.

Although Jimenez looked in the sobbing father’s direction, he did not answer or respond in any way and his arraignment has been continued until next week.

Anyone with information about this investigation is encouraged to call the Corona Police Department at (951) 736-2330, option 3, or Senior Detective Dan Neagu at (951) 739-4916 or by email.

Original (UPDATED) Story: Critically injured in Corona shooting that killed friend, TikTok star remains on life support

SEE ALSO: UPDATED: Corona movie theater shooting leaves woman, 18, dead, man, 19, on life support – Victims ID’d

CORONA, Calif. — Anthony Barajas, a 19-year-old rising TikTok star with nearly a million worldwide followers, remains in critical condition and on life support after he and a friend were gunned down inside a Corona, California movie theater Monday night, July 26.

His companion that evening, 18-year-old, Rylee Goodrich, passed away at the scene of the shooting, which happened during a 9:35 p.m. showing of The Forever Purge, a movie about a 12-hour window of time when all crimes – including murder – are deemed legal.

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Although he is still technically alive, some members of Barajas’s family – including Julia Barajas, who created a GoFundMe for the victim’s ongoing medical costs and other expenses – are already reporting that although being kept alive by machines he has, in essence, already passed away.

“We lost our amazing brother, son, and friend in a tragic accident and is on life support currently,” she has explained in the fundraiser.

As for the ongoing investigation, authorities yesterday announced the arrest of a man suspected of gunning the couple down. Authorities have said there is no known motive for, or gang-ties related directly to the shooting and that the incident appeared to be “an unprovoked attack.”

Corona Police Department began investigating the double shooting around 11:45 p.m., after a cleaning crew discovered the victims on the ground with gunshot wounds inside Corona’s Regal Edwards 18 movie theater inside Crossings at Corona.

Early in Corona PD’s investigation, which received assistance from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Major Crimes Bureau – Forensic Services Unit and the Riverside County Gang Impact Team (GIT), detectives received witness statements that ultimately led to identifying Joseph Jimenez, 20, as the possible gunman.

Based on the gathered information and developed leads, on July 27, at approximately 8 p.m., Corona PD detectives and others located and arrested Jimenez at his address in the 19000 block of Envoy in El Cerrito, an unincorporated portion of Corona. They later served a search warrant at the address.

During the service of the search warrant, detectives located a firearm and additional evidence related to the crime scene, according to officials; who said the firearm matched the caliber of the weapon used in Monday’s deadly shooting.

Although officials did not specify the nature of the evidence collected, Jimenez’s charges indicate he robbed one or both of the victims at the time of the shooting.

After his arrest, Jimenez was booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside on suspicion of murder, attempted murder, and robbery with a firearm.

Online jail records indicate he remains in custody in lieu of $2 million bail or bond and is scheduled to be arraigned at the Riverside Hall of Justice tomorrow, Friday, July 30.

SEE ORIGINAL RELATED STORY: UPDATED: Corona movie theater shooting leaves woman, 18, dead, man, 19, on life support – Victims ID’d

“Anthony was the light of so many peoples lives and there are tough times ahead,” Julia Barajas continued in the victim’s GoFundMe; adding that the money raised will be used toward Barajas’s ongoing medical costs and other expenses.

As of this update the fundraiser, which was created yesterday, had already amassed $58,364 toward its originally stated goal of $30,000.

Anyone with information about this investigation is encouraged to call the Corona Police Department at (951) 736-2330, option 3, or Senior Detective Dan Neagu at (951) 739-4916 or by email.

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Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 50, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS).

Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County-based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.

Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.

Trevor has been married for more than 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.