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Michele Janise Love, 54

Michele Janise Love (2016-02-28)

Michele Janise Love, a 54-year-old black woman also known as Michele Kelly-Love, died Sunday, Feb. 28, after she was shot in the 19500 block of South Tillman Avenue in Carson, according to Los Angeles County coroner’s records. 

Love was in the driver's seat of her compact SUV, with her mother beside her and her son, Jordan Marshal Love, 27, in the back seat, when the shooting began a few minutes before midnight on Saturday, Feb. 27, said Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Lt. Joe Mendoza. 

Michele Love had just parked along the curb, facing north, when a dark-colored sedan passed by, also heading north, Mendoza said. “As the car passed them, numerous shots were fired from the suspect vehicle into our victim’s vehicle,” he said. 

The shooter car sped north on Tillman and disappeared, Mendoza said. Michele Love and her son were struck multiple times by gunfire, Mendoza said. 

Michele Love's mother, who was sitting in the front passenger seat closest to the sidewalk, was uninjured. 

Jordan Love and Michele Love were both pronounced dead at the scene at 12:08 a.m., according to coroner’s records.

Witnesses reported seeing the suspect vehicle drive away, but no one was able to provide a description of the people inside, Mendoza said. 

Investigators don’t believe either of the victims were involved in a gang, Mendoza said.  “We have no suspect information and no idea about motive, so we’re asking anybody with information to send it our way," he said.

A fundraising webpage to help the family with burial expenses said Jordan Love, his mother and grandmother had gone to a movie that evening, and Michele Love was dropping her son off at his father's home when the shooting occurred. 

Michele Love’s ex-husband, Jose Love, told KTLA that he had no idea what would motivate someone to kill his son and ex-wife.

“Nobody can go out and pretend that he was some kind of street thug," Jose Love said of his son. "That’s why it’s so perplexing ..."

Jordan Love had a 2-year-old daughter, and enjoyed recording music in his home studio, his father told the Daily Breeze.  Michele Love lived in Los Angeles and loved spending time with her family, according to her ex-husband.

Love's long-time neighbor Willie Carpenter described Michele as a quiet person who had kidney failure five years ago, but recovered after her daughter donated one of her kidneys for a transplant. 

"Michele and Jose had two sons and a daughter, and they're very good kids," Carpenter said.  Nobody could tell me they are gang members. The whole family is good. This is just senseless."

Anyone with information should call the sheriff’s 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.

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