12-year-old fatally shot in Los Angeles, woman and young girl injured

WILMINGTON, Calif. (TCD) -- A 12-year-old boy just days away from turning 13 was shot and killed Monday when he was riding through a Los Angeles neighborhood in an SUV.

Los Angeles Police Chief Michael Moore spoke about the shooting in a Zoom conference Tuesday. According to Moore, at around 5 p.m., a 30-year-old woman was in an SUV when shots hit the car during "some type of encounter" with "multiple individuals." The woman, who Moore believes is the stepmother of the 12-year-old, and the boy were both hit by gunfire. Another child in the backseat of the car was not injured.

The woman reportedly drove the car to a nearby area to flee to safety and 911 arrived shortly thereafter.  The woman was reportedly struck in the stomach and the boy was hit in the head. Moore said lifesaving efforts failed on the boy. He was identified as Alexander Alvarado.

Moore said the suspects are believed to be males who used several different handguns or firearms in the shooting. Investigators reportedly located shell casings of different calibers at the scene.

According to KABC-TV, a 9-year-old girl was playing on a playground during an after-school program and was hit by a stray bullet. NBC Los Angeles reports she is in critical but stable condition.

Moore said in his conference he believes the suspects are males, but does not have any description beyond that.

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