MSU victim Arielle Anderson of Harper Woods remembered as 'angel'
Arielle Anderson was remembered Tuesday by family members as a straight-A student and "an angel here on Earth" after the 19-year-old from Harper Woods was identified as one of three Michigan State University students killed in a Monday night mass shooting.
The 2021 graduate of Grosse Pointe North High School took up photography as a hobby with him three years ago, said her uncle, Tim Davis.
“Arielle was literally just kind-hearted,” Davis said. “She was just sweet and innocent. She just stayed innocent her whole life. She was soft-spoken. Always helpful.
"In my opinion, she was just perfect the way she conducted herself. She had great manners and was respectful. She was very smart, a straight-A student. I’m pretty sure you will hear that from everybody.”
Her mother, Dawana Davis, noted her daughter’s name is pronounced ARE-ee-el.
“She means the world to us. As much as we loved her, she loved us and others even more. She was passionate about helping her friends and family, assisting children and serving people,” according to the family statement.
“Driven by her aspiration to tend to the health and welfare of others as a surgeon, she was working diligently to graduate from Michigan State University early to achieve her goals as quickly as possible. As an angel here on Earth, Arielle was sweet and loving with an infectious smile that was very contagious.”
The family said while they appreciate the outpouring of love, support and prayers, they asked for privacy to grieve.
“We are absolutely devastated by this heinous act of violence upon her and many other innocent victims,” the family stated.
Dawana Davis is a longtime employee of Comerica Bank, which added its own statement on social media: “Words cannot describe the heavy hearts that we have today after the tragic and horrific shootings that occurred last night on the campus of Michigan State University. To the family of the victims, witnesses, students, faculty, staff and residents affected by all of the events that unfolded last evening, we stand with you.”
Anderson was the niece of “Flavor of Love” reality star Chandra Davis, known on the show as Deelishis, according to Davis’ social media posts. On Monday night, Deelishis posted a photo of Anderson on Instagram and asked for prayers because her niece “was in her classroom in the same building as the active shooter and we have not heard from her.”
Chandra Davis later pinned a comment on that post from another relative that said: “My sweet beautiful niece … RIP baby girl.”
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