Talisse Patterson, 17, was remembered as a kind and helpful former student after police said she was an unintended shooting victim.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A former middle school coach is remembering 17-year-old Talisse Patterson as a caring student who routinely helped classmates after she was killed in a shooting outside a Halloween party in Jacksonville’s Arlington area.
Patterson died early Sunday after gunfire broke out near the Regency Inn on Arlington Expressway, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. Two other people were wounded. Investigators said all three people who were shot appeared to be unintended targets who were not involved in the dispute that led to the shooting.
Clifton Collins, who coached Patterson for three years at Springfield Middle School, described her as one of the school’s “salt-of-the-earth type students.” He said Patterson was the kind of student who would help others in class and encourage classmates to stay on track. Collins said teachers who knew Patterson have struggled with the news of her death.
Patterson was also remembered by longtime friends for her positive personality. Tori LaRosa, who said she had known Patterson since fifth grade, described her as “sunshine personified.” Friends said Patterson was known for her smile and the energy she brought to people around her. Those memories have become a central part of how classmates, teachers and friends are responding to her death.
Police said officers were called to the 6200 block of Arlington Expressway at about 1:42 a.m. Sunday after reports that multiple people had been shot. Officers found Patterson and another shooting victim at the scene. A third wounded person went to a hospital separately. Authorities said the two surviving victims were expected to recover.
Investigators said a crowd had gathered while waiting to enter a Halloween party when an argument broke out. The dispute escalated into gunfire, police said. Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office investigators believe at least two suspected shooters approached the area on foot. Authorities have not said Patterson or the other two victims had any role in the confrontation.
The size of the crowd has made witnesses and cellphone recordings an important part of the investigation. Police have said people who were outside the party may have seen what happened or captured video that could help detectives determine how the dispute began and who fired the shots. No arrests in Patterson’s killing had been announced as of Wednesday.
Collins said Patterson’s death has also prompted difficult conversations with young people he coaches. He said the loss has been especially painful because of the person teachers remembered Patterson to be. He described the reaction among educators who knew her as devastation over the death of someone they considered a good and helpful student.
Friends of Patterson have similarly focused on the life she lived rather than the circumstances of the shooting. Tori LaRosa and her mother, Keya LaRosa, described Patterson as a frequent presence in their home and said those close to her want her to be remembered. Their comments added to a growing picture of a teenager whose death has affected former classmates, teachers and families who knew her.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office investigation remains open. Detectives have not publicly identified the suspected shooters or announced arrests, and authorities continue to seek information from people who witnessed the shooting or recorded activity outside the party.
Author note: Last updated November 4, 2026.