By Elizabeth Farnsworth
Marietta Daily Journal Staff Writer
MARIETTA - A 2007 Walton High School graduate died of a gunshot wound Tuesday night in Opelika, Ala. Lauren Burk, 18, was a freshman at Auburn University.
Her death is being investigated as a homicide.
Opelika Police said they received a call of an injured woman on Highway 147 in Opelika about 9 p.m. Tuesday that led them to Ms. Burk. She was taken by ambulance to East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika, where she died, police said.
Not long after, Auburn University police found Ms. Burk's car, a 2001 black Honda Civic, on fire in the Hinton Field parking lot, yards away from the dorm of the girl's sorority, Delta Gamma.
Auburn officials said Ms. Burk lived off campus. They said Wednesday they had increased police presence at the school of 24,000 students, 120 miles from Marietta.
"We are so saddened by this situation, words simply aren't adequate," Auburn University President Jay Gogue said. "This is a close-knit community that rarely experiences such a tragedy, so our heartfelt prayers and thoughts go out to Lauren's community in Marietta, and especially to her family."
Gordon and Elaine Rondeau, of east Cobb, are longtime advocates of crime prevention. After their daughter was murdered in 1994, they started the Renee Olubunmi Rondeau Peace Foundation to help crime victims and to spur efforts to prevent crime.
"The woman at Auburn had a right to be where she was," Ms. Rondeau said. "She had a right to expect that she would be safe. We in America should have that right to be wherever we want and be safe."
Police are continuing to follow up on every lead, Capt. Tom Stopher of the Auburn police department said.
"We're going to work around the clock until we are successful in this case," he said.
Police have established an anonymous tip line (334-501-7337), and the Alabama governor's office has offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to a suspect in the case.
efarnsworth@mdjonline.com
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