Loved ones remember the life of 20-year-old Marlene Rashidi

Posted by: Marlenia Thornton

mthornton@klkntv.com

Many in the Lincoln community and beyond are dealing with the loss of another young life taken too soon.

20–year–old Marlene Rashidi was shot and killed Sunday morning.

Police say a 22–year–old man fired into a car she was in.

Her best friend,  Jazi  Lott, was also in the car at that time.

She was with Rashidi during some of her final moments.

"I said God please let her get through this. She has her whole life ahead of her god please get through this,” Jazi Lott said.

"No one really feels the pain on my heart as I held her in my arms. I felt like she died in my arms in that moment,” she continued.

Rashidi was a talented athlete and scholar. She was on the track team for the University of Nebraska at Kearney.

She was a sophomore studying political science and pre–law.

The university described her as  a visible leader and student.

Her friends said her drive and commitment to her goals was inspirational.

They said she touched everyone she met with her beautiful, positive spirit.

"I never heard anyone complain about Marlene or say anything bad about her ever,” Marlene Rashidi’s close friend Brian Mills said.

She moved to the U.S. from a south African refugee camp in 2009.

 A year later, that’s when she started her journey at Lincoln High School.

She was one of the school’s graduation speakers in 2014.

She encouraged her classmates to dare to dream and hold tight them.

Principal Mark Larson said she was really starting to hit her stride.

"We were blessed to have small part to play in her journey and development like I said I’m really shocked and saddened by the news,” Lincoln High Principal Mark Larson said.

"It really breaks my heart did not deserve this at all. No one deserved to die that night,” Lott said.