DeAndre Dercell Hughes, 30

DeAndre Dercell Hughes, a 30-year-old black man, was shot and killed Sunday, July 17, in the 900 block of East 120th Street in Green Meadows, according to Los Angeles County coroner’s records.

Shortly before 7:30 p.m., Hughes was in standing in a frontyard with another person when two others approached from the street and began shooting, said Los Angeles Police Det. Nate Kouri.

People in the area came outside to help Hughes, who was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead at 7:53 p.m., authorities said.

Detectives believe the assailants got into a white sedan. Police believe that Hughes was not the intended target in the shooting.

For the past eight years, Hughes worked at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center as an environmental services technician, cleaning patient rooms and taking out the trash.

Hughes woke up each morning about 4 a.m. to be at work by 9. He liked to be early, and often volunteered for overtime shifts, said Renadeau Graham, who worked with him.

Hughes was popular at work. He was “always in a good mood, always smiling,” Graham said, and the two often lunched together.

If Graham couldn’t make lunch, Hughes would bring her food.The two sometimes talked of going back to school – Graham to be a nurse and Hughes to be a surgical technician.

“He still had goals that he was trying to reach,” Graham said.

As the news of Hughes’ death spread this week, Graham said the hospital brought in grief counselors for the staff.

“Everybody is heartbroken,” she said. “They can’t believe it.”

On Sunday afternoon, Hughes' mother drove to Hemet for her sister’s 50th birthday. As Barbara Pritchett-Hughes was in the kitchen making macaroni salad, she received a phone call from a family member.

“DeAndre just got shot and he’s laying down by the house,” her cousin told her.

Pritchett-Hughes' mind flashed back to nine years ago, when her 15-year-old son, Dovon Harris, was killed. She prayed. “Lord, please don’t let this be like the last time.”

Anyone with information is asked to call the LAPD's Criminal Gang Homicide Division at (323) 786-5111. Those who wish to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.

Contact the Homicide Report. Follow @latimeshomicide on Twitter.

FOR THE RECORD: A previous version of this post said that Harris was 16. He was 15.