A Texas medical student and outspoken Iranian activist was killed in Texas while driving near her parents' house — leaving authorities baffled and her friends and family devastated.
Gelareh Bagherzadeh, a molecular genetic technology student at the University of Texas, was shot late Sunday night while driving through a parking garage and talking to a good friend on the phone. She was killed instantly, ABC News reported.
"When officers arrived, they found a vehicle had run into a garage door at that location with the engine running and tires spinning on the pavement. Ms. Bagherzadeh was found slumped over in the driver's seat," the Houston Police Department said in a statement to ABC.
The 30-year-old was an outspoken advocate of improving people’s lives through medicine and political change. But according to the Houston Chronicle, she often feared for her safety.
The newspaper detailed a 2010 incident when she requested anonymity during an interview about her opposition to the Iranian government.
But police told ABC that they don't think that's why she was killed.
"It's not believed that she was targeted because of her ethnicity or because she was an activist," Houston Police Department spokesman Victor Senties said.
Police said her cell phone and wallet were still in the car, but they are not ruling out robbery as a motive, KTRK-TV reported.
Authorities have offered a $5,000 award for any information leading to an arrest.
Young Woman Shot Dead While Talking on Cell Phone: MyFoxHOUSTON.com
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