The incident happened in the 1700 block of 35th Place. The victim was shot in the head while standing in front of a residence. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police are calling Ladawn Bell an innocent victim in a gang-related shooting.
According to LAPD, Ladawn Bell, a 45-year-old grandmother, was killed by a stray bullet. Wednesday around 6 p.m., detectives say two groups of girls were fighting in front of this building. The fighting escalated to gunfire at about 7:30 p.m.
"We seen the gun and everybody ran in the house to try and get shielded," said Dionne Bell, Ladawn's sister. Ladawn Bell never made it inside.
"She didn't do anything to nobody. She wasn't fighting nobdy. She didn't hit nobody. She didn't say nothing. She didn't do nothing wrong to these people," said Dionne Bell.
Los Angeles police sent its gang homicide unit to the scene to investigate. The shooting happened just feet from 36th Street Elementary School.
"I heard four or five gunshots and I told my wife to duck down and that was pretty much it. Then I heard some crying out here," said a neighbor who did not want to be on camera for fear of retaliation.
Thursday, bullet holes in the building remind the community of the bloodshed. The Bell family can only reminisce about the good times and Ladawn's smile.
"Everybody that meets her, loves her," said Dionne Bell. "That's my sister and I love her to death."
If you have any information about this case, you're urged to call Los Angeles Regional Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS or (800) 222-8477.
