"She was the most amazing person and she had such a future ahead of her," said friend Bryan Tapper.
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Housley was a freshman at Pepperdine University. She was at a bar in Thousand Oaks on Wednesday, when she and 11 other victims were killed by a gunman.
The Housley family owns several grocery stores in Napa County.
Alaina graduated from Vintage High School in Napa last spring. The school held an emotional vigil Thursday to remember her, where hundreds gathered on the soccer field.
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"She's the athlete that never stops trying. She's the student who never stops studying," said Principal Sarah O'Conner.
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Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Calif., called for gun violence to end.
We must "resolve that we'll do everything in our power to put an end to this senseless violence," Thompson said.
The Housley family issued a statement which was read at the vigil:
"We want to honor Alaina by focusing on how she lived her life. She would have enjoyed the public debate that is certain to happen after this tragedy. She would have insisted it be respectful with with an eye towards solving these senseless shootings."
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