Hannah Ronyae' Bell, 15

Hannah Ronyae’ Bell, a 15-year-old black female, was shot and killed Friday, April 27, at 7730 S. Western Ave. in Manchester Square, according to Los Angeles County coroner’s records.

Shortly before 9 p.m., Hannah and her mother, Samantha Mays, were standing outside a restaurant called the Best Burger when a person shot Hannah, said LAPD Det. Everardo Amaral.

Amaral said that the teenager was shot multiple times in the lower torso.  Hannah was taken to a hospital where she was pronounced dead at 10 p.m., according to coroner’s records.

The motive behind the shooting remains unclear, police said.

That night, Hannah told her mother that she wanted to grab a bite to eat. The two were staying with relatives a few blocks from the burger stand, so Hannah and her mother walked there.

 "My mom told me she pulled Hannah down to protect her," said Markeis Jones, the girl's brother. "When the shooting stopped, my mom got up and told Hannah to get up, but she didn't."

Relatives describe Hannah as a loving and joyful teen who had her eyes set on going to college and becoming a nurse.

Her energy was contagious, said Jones, 27. He said that even when Hannah was angry with him, she would maintain a sense of humor.

"She would always love to stand on my back, and whenever she got angry she would tell me, 'No, I'm not going to stand on your back,' " Jones said.

Hannah also loved going to church. Theresa Arnold, a family friend, said she had been taking her to Bible study since she was 5.

"She was a good and happy kid," Arnold said. "She always wanted to help out at the church."

But it was her close relationship with her mother that many relatives found special.

"They were like two peas and a pod," her brother said. "I remember I was at the grocery store and I saw Hannah pulling a shopping cart with my mom inside."

That didn't mean life could not be hard for the pair even before the shooting. Jones said his sister and mother were homeless for a while and lived on skid row.

"She had only recently found a place to stay and was in the process of completing the paperwork," Arnold said of Mays.

Nancy Wilson, the girl’s aunt, said Hannah's difficult life experiences made her want to help others by becoming a nurse.

"She was able to connect to people," Wilson said. "It didn't matter what you were going through. She was able to understand and wanted to help."

The city is offering a $50,000 reward for information in the shooting.

Anyone with tips can call detectives at (323) 786-5113. Those who wish to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.

Photo: Samantha Mays, center, grieves with her son Ronnie and daughter Mollie at a news conference near where her 15-year-old daughter, Hannah, was fatally shot last week.

Credit: Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times

Contact the Homicide Report. Follow @nicolesantacruz and @latimeshomicide on Twitter.