On November 17, 2024, at about 12:46 a.m., 21-year-old Lanai Ariyana Dees was found fatally shot inside her white Mercedes-Benz in an alley in the 2000 block of Century Boulevard near Wilton Place in South Los Angeles. Deputies arriving on scene discovered the vehicle had collided with a concrete foundation; Dees was pronounced dead at the scene. The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner identified her and ruled the manner of death homicide, cause gunshot wound to the head.

Dees, who lived in Inglewood, was described by her brother Jordan as very sweet and kind. He said she may have been visiting a friend in South Los Angeles and suggested the shooter could have been a passenger who fled the car, though the circumstances remain uncertain. No arrests or suspects have been announced, and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has not released a motive.

The family has set up a GoFundMe to help with funeral expenses, and investigators ask anyone with information to contact the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500 or Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477. If anyone knew Lanai or saw activity in the area that night, can you share what you know?