After a long semester, Fátima Rodriguez-Ortiz was looking forward to hanging out with her friends at the University of Southern California (USC) Village, a "living community" for students adjacent to the main campus. The 33-year-old had moved from the Bay Area to Los Angeles in 2024 to pursue a Master's in Public Administration and Finance degree at USC’s Sol Price School of Public Policy.
On the evening of November 13, 2025, most of the people in attendance at the Rock and Riley’s bar were coming from USC’s Sol Price School of Public Policy networking event at the nearby USC Hotel. Hoping to grab a quick drink with fellow graduate students, Rodriguez-Ortiz headed to USC Village, where she met up with friends.
She recalls that upon arriving at the bar, a man she had “never seen before” waved her over and invited her to sit next to him.