A Long Island community is in mourning after 18-year-old Emily Finn, a talented ballerina and recent high school graduate, was allegedly shot dead by her ex-boyfriend. The incident occurred on Thursday when Finn visited the Nesconset home of 17-year-old Austin Lynch to return his belongings following their recent breakup.
According to police, Lynch fired two shots from a legally owned shotgun, killing Finn before turning the weapon on himself. He survived and is now in critical but stable condition. He is expected to face a second-degree murder charge, with the court deciding whether he will be charged as an adult under New York's Raise the Age law.
Finn, a Sayville High School graduate, had trained at the American Ballet Studio in Bayport for over four years, performing in multiple productions of The Nutcracker and serving as the studio's fundraising president. Artistic director Kathy Kairns-Scholz described her as a dedicated and warm individual who 'had everything in front of her.'
Vigils and tributes have sprung up across New York towns, with pink ribbons and messages of remembrance. The studio plans to dedicate this year's Nutcracker performance to Finn and establish a scholarship in her name. Weekend events, including the Sayville Holiday Parade, were cancelled, and grief counsellors will be available to students.
A GoFundMe campaign has raised nearly £60,000, describing Finn as 'a part of the fabric of the lives she touched.' The Sayville Alumni Association said her death 'leaves an indelible void where a future of promise once stood.'
