A 14-year-old girl in California has been charged with the murder of the daughter of a human trafficking non-profit’s CEO. As per Independent, the unidentified teen was named the suspect in the March 21 shooting of Kendra Reana McIntyre. The 20-year-old was gunned down 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 that 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. South Bureau Homicide Division detectives were assigned the case, and through the course of their investigation, 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 that the killing appears to be random, reported CBS.
Detectives took the juvenile into custody on May 6 and filed a murder charge against her, the next day.
Notably, Ms McIntyre was the daughter of Debra Rush, the co-founder of Fresno nonprofit Breaking the Chains, which helps people who are impacted by human trafficking. Her mother believes that her daughter was being forced by South L.A. gang members to sell sex when she was shot. However, there is no information about a motive or whether the girl acted alone.
Meanwhile, 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 shattered by this unimaginable loss, and as a community, we want to ease her burden in any way we can. We are reaching out to you today to ask for your support in raising funds 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.