Rylee Goodrich, Teen Shot to Death in Theater, Is Honored Through a California Paddle-Out

Rylee Goodrich, who was shot alongside her friend Anthony Barajas in a movie theatre during "The Forever Purge," was sent off by her loved ones through a loving ocean-based ritual.

A paddle-out was held off the coast of Seal Beach, California, in honor of Rylee Goodrich. 

A paddle-out is a ritual where loved ones circle up in the ocean to honor the life of someone who has passed.

This way of honoring a loved one was adopted by surfers, and is based on Hawaiian culture and spirituality. 

Traditionally, mourners paddle out into the ocean on their boards, join hands in a circle, then spread flowers and splash in the water.

In some cases the deceased’s ashes are sprinkled into the ocean.  

Rylee Goodrich was killed in a movie theater shooting along with her 19-year-old friend, Anthony Barajas. Barajas was taken to the hospital, but later succumbed to his injuries. Goodrich was pronounced dead at the scene. 

Because Goodrich loved the beach, her loved ones swam or rode boards out into the Pacific Ocean to give her a proper send off.

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