Witnesses said a man was walking through a parking lot at the park when he started firing at a 16-year-old boy, who ducked behind a parked vehicle, avoiding the gunfire.
The woman, 61-year-old Gwen Taylor, was shot in her rib cage and a nearby 15-year-old boy was struck in his right arm. Both were taken to the hospital. The boy suffered minor injuries, but Taylor did not survive.
"She was rushed to a local hospital. She did survive surgery, but unfortunately she did succumb to her injuries and she passed away," said Inglewood Police Lt. Michael Marshall.
Family members said Taylor, a mother of four, was leaving a Christmas party at the park with her husband when she was shot.
"My dad said he thought they were fireworks, then he looked at my mom and she just stumbled a little bit and fell straight forward," Tamisha Taylor, the victim's daughter.
Authorities said the suspect was last seen running west on Beach Avenue. The motive for the shooting was unknown.
"She was giving, loving," Taylor said. "If you didn't have a mother, she would be that mother for you."
Anyone with information was asked to call Inglewood police at (888) 412-7463.
