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Gun violence in the United States is an urgent public health crisis that demands the “collective commitment of the nation” to stop it, according to Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy. CNN’s Rosemary Church has the details
“Long live Sasha,” reads one side of the pink rubber bracelets on Amira Donnelly’s arm. “Forever 17,” reads the other side.
Michael Mufich and Amira Donnelly at their daughter Sasha Mufich’s funeral in Napa on April 30. Sasha was 17 when she was killed. Donnelly is carrying her daughter’s pink jacket in this photo.
The brightly colored bands are just one reminder of her eldest daughter, Sasha Mufich. The 17-year-old Napa teen was killed on April 13 on Riverside Drive by gun violence. Aileen Villasenor, a 19-year-old Rohnert Park resident, also died in the shooting.
Now Mufich’s family has found another way to remember their daughter and sister. Partnering with the Napa Valley Education Foundation, they’ve created the Sasha Ann Mufich Memorial Scholarship.
Donnelly described her daughter as “a social butterfly,” the kind of person who wanted to connect with other people, and who considered her friends — and their families — part of her own family.
“Sasha loved everyone … and had a ton of friends,” said Donnelly.
Her daughter was driven to help others, said her mother. “That’s why I wanted to start this scholarship, so she can continue to help her friends,” she said.
Sasha Mufich’s siblings, Safia and Leo Donnelly and Eavan Mufich, at her funeral April 30 at Napa’s Tulocay Cemetery.
Mufich, who graduated from Valley Oak High School, planned to start cosmetology school in San Francisco and was “looking forward to starting the next step in her education,” according to the scholarship announcement.
This scholarship is meant “to keep Sasha’s spirit live by supporting students to reach their educational goals.” The fund not only provides financial assistance for higher education, “but also serves as a reminder of the profound impact one individual can have on this world.”
It aims “to inspire and empower students to pursue their dreams and contribute to a safer, more compassionate society.”
Mufich was also an accomplished athlete who participated in gymnastics, soccer, wrestling and softball. And even though she was good at sports, “I think she enjoyed the social aspect (of sports) more than the actual competition,” said her mother.
Rev. Katherine Frederick, Tomas Donnelly, Sasha Mufich’s brother Leo, Mufich’s grandmother Dixie Larson, and Camila and Olivia Bargenquest are seen in this photo taken on April 30 at Mufich’s funeral.
Donnelly said because the investigation into the murders of Mufich and Villasenor is continuing, she still doesn’t know exactly what happened that night.
She and her daughter were together earlier that day, said Donnelly. However, she added, “she never said one word to me” about any circumstances that could lead to a violent confrontation.
Sasha Mufich
“I believe she was (at Riverside Drive) to protect her friends,” said Donnelly, but she’s not focused on the details of the death right now. “Nothing’s going to bring her back. All I hope is that the three of them are behind bars for the rest of their lives.”
Those three are a man and two women who were arrested within a few days of the Riverside Drive attack.
John Richard Wesley Nicholson Jr., a 22-year-old Vallejo man, faces two first-degree murder charges as well as various special allegations, such as intentional discharge of a firearm. Jessica Whitten, 19, of Santa Rosa also faces two first-degree murder charges and an accessory charge.
Judith Adolph, 19, of Rohnert Park is charged with two counts of felony assault with a semiautomatic firearm and being an accessory to a crime.
All three remain in the Napa County jail without bail. Their next hearings are set for 8:30 a.m. Wednesday in Napa County Superior Court.
Donnelly said the community in Napa has been supportive of her family, with about 600 people attending a funeral service and other gatherings in Mufich’s memory. A number of local women who have also lost children have been particularly comforting, she noted.
This mother of three said that she knows teenagers can be stubborn, and that Sasha didn’t let anyone get in her way. “When she wanted to do something, she went for it,” Donnelly remembered.
Friends, family members and loved ones attended Sasha Mufich’s funeral April 30 in Napa.
It’s important for parents to work to have a close bond with their teenage and young adult children, according to Donnelly. At the same time, the young adults need to listen to their instincts, their gut feelings.
“If something doesn’t feel right, it most likely isn’t,” she said.
For Donnelly, the pink bracelets are both a reminder of her daughter and something tangible she can pass on to others. “I wear two, in case I run into someone that wants one,” she said.
A GoFundMe campaign has already helped with funeral and burial costs, and part of that money is also going toward the new scholarship.
“(Mufich) is always on my mind,” said her mother, and doing something for her “is the only way I move forward.”
Family members and loved ones including Sasha’s mother, father and stepfather at Sasha Mufich’s burial at Tulocay Cemetery on April 30.
These pink bracelets were created to remember Sasha Mufich.
Michael Mufich and Amira Donnelly at their daughter Sasha Mufich’s funeral in Napa on April 30. Sasha was 17 when she was killed. Donnelly is carrying her daughter’s pink jacket in this photo.
Michael Mufich (right), family members and loved ones at Sasha Mufich’s burial at Tulocay Cemetery on April 30.
Friends, family members and loved ones attended Sasha Mufich’s funeral April 30 in Napa.
A display of photos at Sasha Mufich’s funeral. Sasha had many, many friends.
Sasha Mufich was laid to rest at Tulocay Cemetery in Napa.
Rev. Katherine Frederick, Tomas Donnelly, Sasha Mufich’s brother Leo, Mufich’s grandmother Dixie Larson, and Camila and Olivia Bargenquest are seen in this photo taken on April 30 at Mufich’s funeral.
Sasha Mufich’s siblings, Safia and Leo Donnelly and Eavan Mufich, at her funeral April 30 at Napa’s Tulocay Cemetery.
Gary Jordan placed a $2 bill on a makeshift memorial Tuesday morning on Riverside Drive in Napa, near the site where Sasha Mufich and Aileen Villasenor died after a shooting April 13.
A poster with photos of Sasha Mufich, one of two teenagers who died in a shooting April 13 in Napa, was displayed on a fence off Riverside Drive near the site of the attack.
A poster with photos of Aileen Villasenor was hung from a fence along Riverside Drive and Napa, where she and Sasha Mufich died after a shooting April 13.
Sasha Mufich pitched for the Soscol Auto Body softball team in a July 2021 game in Napa.
Sasha Mufich, a Napa teenager, in an undated photo posted with a GoFundMe fundraiser for her family after her death in an April 13 shooting.
Sasha Mufich
You can reach reporter Jennifer Huffman at 707-256-2218 or jhuffman@napanews.com
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Gun violence in the United States is an urgent public health crisis that demands the “collective commitment of the nation” to stop it, accordi…
Michael Mufich and Amira Donnelly at their daughter Sasha Mufich’s funeral in Napa on April 30. Sasha was 17 when she was killed. Donnelly is carrying her daughter’s pink jacket in this photo.
Sasha Mufich’s siblings, Safia and Leo Donnelly and Eavan Mufich, at her funeral April 30 at Napa’s Tulocay Cemetery.
Rev. Katherine Frederick, Tomas Donnelly, Sasha Mufich’s brother Leo, Mufich’s grandmother Dixie Larson, and Camila and Olivia Bargenquest are seen in this photo taken on April 30 at Mufich’s funeral.
Friends, family members and loved ones attended Sasha Mufich’s funeral April 30 in Napa.
Sasha Mufich
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