The Huntsville community is grieving the sudden and tragic loss of 19-year-old Nadiya Dayana Elise Perkins of Montgomery. Perkins was found dead on Wednesday morning, March 4, 2026, inside an apartment complex on Julia Street. The Madison County Coroner, Dr. Tyler Berryhill, ruled her death a homicide following a shooting that caused fatal injuries.
Huntsville police responded to the complex at the intersection of Julia Street and University Drive around 9 a.m. after receiving a shots-fired call. Officials confirmed that the investigation into Perkins’ death is ongoing, and authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward to help law enforcement piece together what happened.
Perkins was a freshman at Alabama A&M University, where she was pursuing a degree in criminal justice. University President Daniel K. Wims released a statement expressing condolences: “Yesterday, a member of our Alabama A&M University family was tragically killed. Nadiya is remembered as a thoughtful and friendly member of the AAMU campus community. She was a student with promise and purpose and will be honored during our Campus Memorial Service later this year.”
Friends, classmates, and professors remembered Perkins as intelligent, compassionate, and ambitious. Her dedication to her studies and her kindness toward others made a lasting impression on her peers, and her untimely death has left the university and the broader Huntsville community in shock and mourning.
In response to the tragedy, the university encouraged students to utilize counseling and support services to process their grief. Officials emphasized the importance of community resilience during this difficult time and the need to support one another.
Nadiya Dayana Elise Perkins will be remembered for her warmth, ambition, and positive influence. Her passing is a profound loss for her family, friends, and the Alabama A&M University community. While her life was tragically cut short, her memory and the impact she made will remain in the hearts of all who knew her.
