A 30-year-old Nigerian athlete and graduate student, Oluwabukola Pereira, was shot dead on Friday, May 8, during a robbery at Arise Auto Centre in Lockland, Ohio, where she worked part-time, just days before her scheduled MBA graduation.
A colleague at the auto shop, Don Simpson, told local television station Marcella Porter TV that Pereira attempted to chase a suspect who allegedly fled with about $1,500 before she was shot. "She was loyal, good and brave," Simpson said. "She came to this country trying to build a good life."
Pereira, originally from Nigeria, was due to graduate from Xavier University on Saturday, May 16, with a Master of Business Administration degree. The university also confirmed she had secured admission to a postgraduate programme in Business Analytics, set to begin later in the year.
In a statement, Xavier University president Colleen Hanycz described Pereira as a woman known for her "positivity, deep faith and generous spirit," adding that friends remembered her as "kind, honest, intelligent and beautiful -- inside and out."
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Beyond academics, Pereira was an active member of Cincinnati's Elite running group and had participated in several races, including the Flying Pig Marathon. She was the first of four children and had been engaged since 2025, with her wedding planned for later this year.
Her family described her as "a bright and shining star" who devoted her life to worship, prayer, and helping others.
Police described the shooting suspect as a man aged between 25 and 35, Black or Hispanic, with long hair worn in braids or dreadlocks, last seen fleeing toward the Gardner Park area. No arrest has been made. Authorities have appealed to the public to contact Crime Stoppers with any useful information.
