A “single white pill” found near Shirley Raines’ pillow is among the limited confirmed details authorities have released as they investigate the death of the influencer widely known as Ms. Shirley.
Per a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department report obtained by People, officers performing a welfare check discovered Raines unresponsive inside her home in Henderson, Nevada, on Tuesday, January 27.
The report also mentions a finished plate of food on the bed and “a single white pill of some sort” found beside her pillow. Police were informed that Raines had been taking medication, although the name of the prescription was redacted from the report.
Raines had previously shared that she took 20 milligrams of Prozac daily to manage panic disorder. It’s unclear whether she was still taking the medication at the time of her death, and authorities have not said whether the pill found at the scene is related. The Clark County Coroner’s Office has confirmed that an autopsy is in progress.
Officers were sent to the residence around 4:43 p.m. after Raines’ daughter, Rashawn Williams, requested a welfare check. Williams told police that her mother hadn’t answered her phone or door all day, even though she could hear the phone ringing inside the home.
Police eventually forced their way in and discovered Raines on the floor next to her upstairs bed. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Raines’ twin sister, Sheila, later said that Williams waited outside the house for hours trying to get a response, even throwing rocks at the window. Sheila added that there were “no visible signs” on Raines’ body that would immediately point to a cause of death.
Authorities noted that Raines’ son was the last family member to speak with her, with their final contact taking place in the early afternoon of January 23.
News of Raines’ passing was first announced by her nonprofit organization, Beauty 2 The Streetz, in a statement shared on Instagram.
“It is with profound sorrow and heavy hearts that Beauty 2 The Streetz announces the passing of our beloved CEO and founder, Shirley Raines,” the statement read. “This loss is devastating to the entire Beauty 2 The Streetz team, the communities we serve, and the countless individuals whose lives were forever changed by Ms. Shirley’s love, generosity, and selfless service.”
Shirley Raines was a Compton native, a mother of six, and the founder of Beauty 2 The Streetz, a nonprofit dedicated to providing food, hygiene items, and personal care services to unhoused communities, especially in Los Angeles’ Skid Row. Her work reached millions through social media, where she shared her outreach efforts and built a massive following.
In a 2020 interview, Raines explained that her mission was about more than makeovers or material support. “Just because they’re without a home does not mean they’re without love,” she said. “They are homeless, but a lot of them are not jobless, kidless, phoneless, or familyless.”
