On Nov. 27, Jonshel Alexander, who a decade ago starred in the acclaimed film “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” was shot inside a vehicle in New Orleans, along with an unidentified man. Alexander, 22 years old, was pronounced dead at the scene. 

At the age of 12, Alexander was cast in Benh Zeitlin’s “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” a 2012 drama filmed in Louisiana that depicted life on the Bayou. The film was widely acclaimed, receiving several Academy Award nominations, including Best Motion Picture. Alexander was cast in one of the film’s supporting roles due to being too old at the time to play the starring role.

Zeitlin, who made the decision to cast Alexander in his film, described the actress as an “absolute one-of-a-kind, unforgettable, force-of-nature human being.”