Ladaro Morrell Figures Jr., 24

Ladaro Morrell Figures Jr., a 24-year-old black man, was shot and killed Saturday, July 9, in the 2700 block of West Lantana Street in Compton, according to Los Angeles County coroner’s records. 

Figures and a friend were sitting in the front seats of his parked, four-door sedan when two men with guns walked up on either side of the vehicle around 1:14 p.m., said Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Lt. Eddie Hernandez. 

The car was parked on the street in front of a house belonging to the friend’s relative, with Figures behind the wheel and his friend in the passenger seat, Hernandez said. 

Investigators don’t know if the men said anything before they pulled out their guns. “One suspect opened fire from the passenger’s side and the other from the driver’s side,” Hernandez said.

Figures was struck multiple times in the upper torso, Hernandez said. He was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead at 1:51 p.m., according to coroner’s records. 

His friend was not injured, Hernandez said. 

The shooters, described as black men, were last seen running west on Lantana Street. 

Figures lived in Compton about three-quarters of a mile north of where he was shot, Hernandez said. He had ties to a gang in that neighborhood, but investigators don’t know if the shooting was gang-related, he said. 

“Anytime there are gang ties, the information is slow in coming in, and nobody wants to identify themselves,” Hernandez said. 

“It’s understandable, but it makes it harder to gather information. We don’t know if this was an in-house argument or if there were some outside gang members in the area who just happened to select these two individuals to shoot at.” 

Anyone with information is asked to call the Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500. Those wishing to remain anonymous should call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.  

Contact the Homicide Report. Follow @latimeshomicide on Twitter.