Lydia Bradford was 24 and a single mother from Cocoa, Florida, when she was killed on January 21, 2013 while preparing for her 7-year-old daughter’s birthday party. A masked gunman entered her apartment at the Longwood Apartments complex on Clearlake Road and opened fire. Lydia died from her wounds; her mother, Equaller Bradford, was shot 14 times and survived. Lydia’s three daughters, ages 1, 4, and 7, witnessed the attack and ran to a neighbor’s house for help.

Witnesses reported seeing a man wearing a ski mask flee the scene, and investigators concluded the gunman entered with the intent to kill, but no arrests have been made and the case remains unsolved. Equaller Bradford later sued the Longwood Apartments, alleging inadequate security amid complaints about violence and drug activity; in 2015 the complex agreed to a $2.85 million settlement to cover Equaller’s medical bills and to help raise Lydia’s daughters.

Anyone who knew Lydia or has information about the shooting is urged to come forward with tips that could help identify the masked gunman.