A 14-year-old California girl has been charged with murdering the daughter of the CEO of a human trafficking nonprofit. From Independent, the unidentified teen was named the suspect in the March 21 shooting of Kendra Reana McIntyre. The 20-year-old was shot while walking in a part of South Los Angeles known for sex work and human trafficking.
She was transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead, police said. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner said the victim was shot in the head and neck.
''On Thursday, March 21, 2024, around 4:20 a.m., the victim, Kendra Mclntyre, was shot while walking near the southeast corner of 70th Street and Figueroa Street. Mclntyre was transported by ambulance to a local hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced deceased. Detectives from the South Bureau Homicide Division were assigned the case and during the course of their investigation, they identified a 14-year-old female juvenile as the murder suspect,” the Los Angeles Police Department said in a news release Tuesday.
Investigators have also recovered the firearm allegedly used in the shooting and also believe the killing appears to be random, the newspaper reported CBS.
Detectives took the minor into custody on May 6 and filed murder charges against her the next day.
Notably, Ms. McIntyre was the daughter of Debra Rush, co-founder of the Fresno-based nonprofit Breaking the Chains, which helps people affected by human trafficking. Her mother believes her daughter was being forced to sell sex by South LA gang members when she was shot. However, there is no information about a motive or whether the girl acted alone.
In the meantime, a GoFundMe has been set up to help the family with financial expenses.
“Kendra's life was taken from her in a senseless act of violence, leaving Debra and her family devastated and in need of our help. Debra's world has been devastated by this unimaginable loss, and as a community we want to ease her burden in any way we can. We are contacting you today to ask for your support in raising money to help Debra with financial expenses during this tragic time of enduring the pain of burying her child. As friends and loved ones, we must rally around Debra during this difficult time. ', the description reads.