The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Woman wounded in shooting opens hair salon
HAMDEN — Tabrya Murdock-Washington was among five people tragically shot at a pool party in June 2019 and it changed her life forever.
For the better, Murdock-Washington says.
Now, at only 20, Murdock-Washington, who faced extraordinary hardships growing up in addition to the shooting, has opened her own hair salon, “The Brya Collection,” in the midst of a pandemic.
The shooting “was extremely life changing,” she said. “It helped me humble myself and value being here every day,” she said.
“In many ways, it made me not afraid to fail,” she said.
On that June day, two weeks out of high school, Murdock-Washington was shot in the back while fleeing a party thrown by a friend of a friend. She required surgery, had to learn to walk again and still lives with physical pain.
Four others were shot at the pool party on Choate Avenue attended by some 500 people, and survived as well. The other victims suffered injuries to the flank, buttocks, thigh, foot and arm.
Hamden police spokesman Capt. Ronald Smith said Thursday that a “person of interest” has been identified in the shooting, but, “unfortunately, we have not made an arrest.”
He said police have “received minimal cooperation from those that attended the party,” and that Detective Mark Sheppard continues to work on the investigation.
Murdock-Washington, who still lives in New Haven, is only halfway through hairdressing school and isn’t yet cutting or coloring; she specializes in braiding and there is plenty of demand for that skill to keep her busy, she said. Two others have chairs at the salon, a cousin and a friend.
Tamara “Tammi” Wells, a social worker at East Rock School in New Haven who worked with Murdock-Washington beginning in second grade until she went to Wilbur Cross High School and has kept in touch, said Murdock-Washington’s accomplishments are noteworthy because, “I think it would be amazing for other students to see someone rise up like she did.”
The shooting wasn’t Murdock-Washington’s only life hurdle.
Her mother had been in prison during some of her childhood years and she and her siblings were raised by her grandmother. While it was difficult for her at the time, she and her mother now have a good relationship.
Murdock-Washington said her grandmother “did a phenomenal job. She’s like my best friend.”
Murdock-Washington also struggled in school at an early age because of the upheaval at home but graduated from high school on time and became a mentor to other high school girls about getting good grades, getting rid of negative relationships and getting rid of the fear.
Wells said, “I’m very proud of her.”
“I think a lot of kids would say, ‘Oh my mom’s not around, I’m going to give up, I didn’t like school, I’m going to give up, I got shot in the back, I’m going to give up,’” Wells said.
Murdock-Washington worked at the iconic Glenwood Drive-In for four years and loved it there, but decided after the shooting she wanted to be her own boss.
“I don’t want to work under someone else again,” she said. “I chose the way.”
Her advice for young people is, “When you want something, work your hardest to get it. … Don’t give up on yourself or what you believe.”
She has always loved hairdressing, but it’s not just about the hair.
“I like make someone feel good about themselves,” she said. “It’s therapeutic. I get to talk to clients and mentor.”
She opened “The Brya Collection” salon in July 2020 and has her work displayed heavily and artfully on social media and that is the best way to reach her.
“People always need their hair done,” she said of opening in a pandemic. “This is what I love to do. This is what makes me happy.”