Sheldon Lamounte Harrison, 29

Sheldon Lamounte Harrison, a 29-year-old black man, was fatally shot on Friday, Oct. 12, in the 9300 block of South Vermont Avenue in Westmont, according to Los Angeles County sheriff’s investigators. 

Harrison had walked out of a liquor store on the west side of Vermont Street, between West 93rd and West 94th streets, around 12:30 a.m., said Lt. Joe Mendoza. He was standing in front of the store, talking with others who were congregated there, when two cars pulled up to the curb in front of the store. 

Three people got out of one car and one person got out of the second and all four started shooting toward the front of the store, Mendoza said. 

Everyone scattered, Mendoza said. Harrison tried running toward 93rd Street, but the shooters chased him and kept shooting until he collapsed. 

No one else was injured. 

“We think he was the target,” Mendoza said. “They made sure he didn’t survive.”

Harrison was pronounced dead at the scene at 12:40 a.m., according to Los Angeles County coroner’s records. The cause of death was listed as gunshot wounds. 

The shooters got back in their cars and drove away, heading south on Vermont, authorities said. Their vehicles were described as dark colored, four-door sedans, Mendoza said, but investigators don’t have a description of the shooters. 

“I call them four individuals because we’re not even sure if they were all males,” he said. “It’s an area with gang activity. People are reluctant to come forward.”

Harrison lived in Long Beach and investigators believe he came to the store in a vehicle with someone else. 

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to 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.