Ex-child actor in ‘Beasts of the Southern Wild’ shot, killed

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A New Orleans woman who played a supporting role as a former child actress in the Oscar-nominated film “Beasts of the Southern Wild” was killed in a weekend shooting in her native Louisiana. Police said Jonshel Alexander and a man were shot in a vehicle Saturday night in New Orleans. Alexander was 22. The man drove himself to a hospital for treatment. At age 12, Alexander played Joy Strong in the 2012 film recounting the story of a poor bayou community’s struggle for survival. The movie won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for four Academy Awards, including best picture.