RICHMOND, Va. — Whitney Harlow Robeson, a Richmond native and Collegiate School graduate who had just begun her career in interior design, died March 7, 2026, following a reported accidental shooting at a home in Trussville, Alabama. She was 22 years old.
Trussville police were dispatched at 9:21 p.m. that Saturday to assist the fire department involving a person with a gunshot wound, AL.com reported.
Robeson was taken to the hospital where she was pronounced dead. Trussville police said the investigation is ongoing.
Born August 1, 2003, Whitney grew up in Richmond and attended St. Bridget Catholic School from kindergarten through eighth grade before enrolling at The Collegiate School in Henrico County, according to her obituary. At Collegiate, she played field hockey and lacrosse and competed on the swim team, graduating with honors in 2021.
"Even more than the competition or the sports themselves, Whitney treasured her teammates and the camaraderie they shared," her family said.
Whitney left Richmond for Auburn University to study interior design. She graduated Summa Cum Laude in May 2025.
"As with most things in her life, Whitney set off on her undergraduate education with a clear vision of what she wanted to do, a heart determined to do what it took to get there, and unshakable faith that she was doing what was right," her family said.
Auburn's College of Human Sciences remembered her warmly in the days following her death.
"She was known not only for her talent and dedication, but also for her kindness, integrity and deep faith," the college wrote on Facebook. "Whitney's life, though far too short, reflected a spirit of generosity and purpose."
Just weeks before her death, Whitney had begun her career in Birmingham as a trade consultant at Restoration Hardware.
"This marvelous, independent woman was on the cusp of her successful career in interior design," her family wrote. "In the precious little time she had been in that role, Whitney's new colleagues and supervisor were instantly taken by her kindness, talent, attentiveness, and integrity."
Those who knew Whitney described her as someone with an extraordinary gift for making the people around her feel seen and loved.
"Whitney lived with inimitable grace; keen, quiet attentiveness and loyalty; boundless generosity and an uncanny way of always knowing just what she needed to do," her family wrote.
She is survived by her parents, brother, sister, grandparents, and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins.
"We mourn Whitney not only as the daughter, sister, and friend she was to us, but also as a woman in the full bloom of her youth," her family said. "We will take her memory and indelible impact wherever we go."
A visitation will be held Friday, March 20, at Bliley's Funeral Home, 3801 Augusta Ave., from 4–6 p.m. The family has asked that attendees wear their favorite bright colors in Whitney's honor. A Memorial Mass will follow Saturday, March 21, at noon at St. Mary's Catholic Church, 9505 Gayton Road, with burial immediately following at Mt. Calvary Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Love Swaddle® Mission through LovEvolve, a program that provides mothers and newborns with swaddles and support tools. Donations will be made in Whitney's memory.
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