Officials on Wednesday increased a reward for information in the shooting death of a 1-year-old girl killed in Compton, bringing the amount to $75,000, authorities said.
The city of Compton, the FBI and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors are each offering $25,000, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
Compton Mayor Aja Brown called the shooting "a tragedy that no parent should ever have to face" and urged residents to recommit themselves to the fight against gang violence.
"Let her death not be in vain," she previously said in a statement.
On Feb. 9, Autumn Johnson was in her crib in the 300 block of North Holly Avenue in Compton when she was shot. Authorities said a man stepped out of a newer model blue Chevrolet Impala about 7 p.m. and began firing at a converted garage, where the girl was with her mother.
The girl’s father, Darrell Johnson, was nearby and rushed inside to grab the child. Sheriff's deputies responded and took the father and child to St. Francis Medical Center.
Investigators are looking for two people who fled south on North Holly Avenue after the shooting.
Authorities believe that Darrell Johnson was the intended target of the gunfire. After the shooting, Autumn’s mother, Blanche Wandick, told reporters that her child “got shot for nothing.”
“That’s all. That’s all I can say. That’s it. I miss my baby, I love my baby, but she is gone,” she said.
Autumn’s family said the baby was a joy to have around and had just begun to walk. Her uncle, Marques Slaughter, said she was “the center of attention and joy.”
“Her smile would make you feel so good inside.”
Anyone with information is asked to call the Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500. Anonymous tips can be submitted through Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.
For more crime news, follow @nicolesantacruz on Twitter.
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