Kayla Nicole Fanaei, a 20-year-old University of Alabama at Birmingham student, was voted class clown and biggest flirt in her 2005 graduating class from Parkway Christian Academy. The daughter of local businessman Matthew Fanaei, Kayla listed spending time with her friends and family as one of her top priorities. She was a crisis center and UAB Youth Safety Lab volunteer. On her Facebook.com profile she stated that, “All I want to do in life is be there for people as well as being happy myself.” She went on to say that she wanted to graduate from UAB and get a doctorate in psychology from Auburn University.

Kayla more than likely would have realized those dreams. Sadly, she was found shot to death in her car at 1 a.m. this morning at 1115 11th St. South, in the parking lot of Glen Iris Elementary.

At this point, no one knows if Kayla was coming from campus, or if she knew her killer. At 2 p.m. yesterday, she updated her Facebook.com status to, “Kayla is thinking that you’re missing out and she’s moving on.”

Several of her friends are already expressing their sadness on their Facebook.com profiles. It seems that although their friend is gone, they have good memories to cling to. Kayla had a great and eclectic taste in music: she lists James Morrison, Ben Harper, Etta James, Bush, No Doubt, Naz and Frank Sinatra as some of her favorites. Like other college students, there are lots of silly photographs and inside jokes posted on her profile, and she was a big fan of UAB Soccer.

An alert was sent out by the UAB Emergency Management Team at 9:47 a.m. to all students, faculty, staff and alumni with valid UAB e-mail accounts with the subject line, “Student death under investigation.”

The e-mail states, “A non-resident, female UAB student was found shot to death early this morning in an off-campus location by Birmingham police. The Birmingham Police Department is investigating with the cooperation of UAB police. Persons with possible information about this incident should contact the Birmingham police at 254-1764. Members of the UAB community needing support or assistance should contact the UAB Counseling Center at 934-5816.”

The use of “non-resident” and “off-campus location” indicates that the university wants to drive home that this death is in no way an indication of campus security or lack thereof. However, Glen Iris Elementary is located across the street from the UAB business and engineering complex, as well as the communication studies faculty offices, ROTC building, and within walking distance of UAB Highlands, soccer and baseball fields, the Spencer Honors House and Alys Stephens Center. Many UAB students live in houses and apartments in the area surrounding the elementary school, with some student residences directly across from the school.

Another 20-year-old, female UAB student, Sirrea Black, was found shot Nov. 1 of last year, but a man was charged with killing her in Hoover and leaving her body in the trunk of her car behind a grocery store in Bessemer. The university did not make a statement about the murder.

Unfortunately for Kayla’s family, friends, the UAB and Glen Iris community, the only thing to do now is wait, in hopes that the suspect in this “off-campus” incident is brought to justice.