Alexis McKinney, a make-up artist for several broadcasters, most recently at Al Jazeera America and NBC, was killed Christmas Eve as the result of a car crash in Virginia. McKinney, along with her 4-year-old daughter Sophia and her 19-year-old nephew Xavier Sanders were driving from New Jersey to Florida to be with family for Christmas.
According to Virginia State Police, the accident happened around 5am when Sanders, who was driving, ran off the road, returned to the southbound lanes, then hit a barrier wall. McKinney was ejected from the car. McKinney’s daughter and Sanders were not seriously injured.
“Alexis was a bright star in the makeup room—always with a cheerful demeanor and a kind word to everyone,” writes AJAM president Kate O’Brian in a note to staff earlier today. “She was completely devoted to her daughters and shared stories and photos of their achievements with the team.” In addition to Sophia, McKinney also leaves behind a teenage daughter and her husband Ray, who is an operations manager for CBS News digital in New York.
McKinney’s friends have set up a GoFundMe page to help raise money for her family.