Death by Fame on ID: Who was Tara Correa-McMullen?

Tara Correa-McMullen was a rising star when she was shot to death in a frenzied shooting by gang member, Damien Watts, in October 2005. She began her career with a role in Steve Carr's Rebound (2005) and went on to secure a recurring role in CBS' Judging Amy.

Tara reportedly fell prey to bad company when she moved to her new apartment in Inglewood, California at 16 years of age. As per The Cinemaholic, she had started dating a gang member who was 10 years older than her and her mother did not approve of this.

Death by Fame will shed light on the case in an episode titled A Rising Star Shot Down, which will air on January 22, 2024, at 9 pm EST on Investigation Discovery. The official synopsis for the same reads:

"Tara Correa-McMullen is only 15 when she rises from the tough streets of LA to star alongside some of Hollywood’s biggest stars; a romance with the wrong person takes her out of the spotlight forever."

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Who was Judging Amy star Tara Correa-McMullen? Details explored

Tara Correa-McMullen, originally named Shalvah McMullen, was born on May 24, 1989, in Westminster, Vermont, United States to parents Mary Devra Correa and father Thomas McMullen. By 1996, Tara moved to Northern California before settling in Venice, Los Angeles County, California with her mother and her sister Abigail.

Tara attended Claremont Middle School and then went on to study at Venice High School. She sang in the Venice High School choir and loved music from a young age. Tara danced in several dance troupes as a child and enjoyed performing for others, as per the Los Angeles Times. She played the piano from the age of 4 and practiced martial arts as well.

Tara was also interested in acting and landed the role of the middle school basketball player, Big Mac, at the age of 14 in the 2005 film Rebound starring Martin Lawrence as Coach Roy McCormick.

McMullen later went on to be cast as Graciela Reyes on the CBS TV series Judging Amy. Reyes was that of a young former gang member who was urged to turn her life around. Tara Correa-McMullen's character appeared a few times in season 6 of the show and was killed off in prison by the end of the season.

Tara Correa-McMullen also featured in a brief role in one of the episodes of the Nickelodeon television series Zoey 101.

According to Cindy Osbrink, whose agency managed Tara, she had become "unreliable" as the shoot for Judging Amy progressed, as per the Los Angeles Times. Osbrink spoke to the publication and said that the agency staff often had to pick her up and drive her to the shoot to ensure her presence on set.

Tara McMullen signed with the agency for a second time after a couple of months as she insisted on continuing acting but was dropped again after she missed an audition.

Her parents Devora Correa and Thomas McMullen wrote a eulogy, which was read out at her funeral by one of the employees at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Hollywood Hills.

“She didn’t judge anyone. Whether they were a grip or a caterer, it didn’t matter to her. She made friends with everyone at every level. The girl stood out in a crowd. She had a special energy and an infectious personality,” it read, as per ComingSoon.

Tara Correa-McMullen suffered multiple gunshots to her torso while she was trying to run inside a building for safety during a frenzied shooting by gang member Damien Watts on October 21, 2005.