Sheriff officials now say that the bullet that killed a 1-year-old girl on Tuesday evening in Compton, Calif., was likely meant for her gang-member father. The infant was shot in her crib after a gunman got out of his car and fired at least five rounds at the family home. A $25,000 reward is being offered for information that might lead to the killer’s capture.
Witnesses said that the attack was carried out by two men who pulled up in front of the house in a dark sedan, described as a blue four-door Chevy Impala. One opened fire into a garage that had been converted into the home of the family, where the child, Autumn Johnson, lived with her parents.
Autumn suffered a bullet wound to the head while in her crib. Authorities say she was not the target of the attack. Detectives believe that the shooting may have been gang-related, with the intended target the girls father, who is thought to have gang ties.
When deputies arrived at the hope in response to the report of several shots fired, the paramedics had not yet arrived, so deputies rushed Autumn to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
The site of the shooting, an area of East San Marcus Street and North Holly Avenue, is about a block from Roosevelt Elementary School. It is known as one of the more violent neighborhoods in L.A. County. In the last six months there have been 475 violent crimes in Compton, including eight homicides.
Compton Mayor Aja Brown announced the reward on Wednesday. He urged the public to help the family “achieve justice” by contacting law enforcement officials with any clues. Anyone with information about the shooting is urged to call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS, or the Compton Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500.