A 29-year-old man was shot and killed Friday morning in the unincorporated Westmont area of Los Angeles County, and authorities were unsure of a motive for the crime.
Deputies responding about 12:30 a.m. to report of gunfire in the 9300 block of South Vermont Avenue located the victim, who had collapsed in a street a short distance away, according to sheriff’s Deputy Morgan Arteaga. He was identified by the coroner’s office Friday afternoon as Sheldon Lamount Harrison of Long Beach.
Detectives learned that two dark vehicles pulled up, and three to four suspects jumped out with firearms and began shooting toward a small crowd of people at the location, Arteaga said. As the bullets flew, the victim, who was shot at least once in the upper body, ran northbound on Vermont Avenue to 93rd Street, where he collapsed and died.
The suspects returned to their vehicles and drove southbound on Vermont Avenue to westbound 94th Street and out of view, Arteaga said.
A detailed description of the suspects was not immediately available.
It’s unclear if the shooting was gang-related.
“We believe there’s video. However, some of these businesses are closed right now, so we’re going to have to get in touch with those business owners,” sheriff’s Lt. Joe Mendoza told NBC4 before dawn. “We will canvass the area for additional video. If anybody has video, maybe somebody captured it on a phone.”
Anyone with information about the shooting was asked to call the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.