On January 21, 2024, at about 11:00 a.m., 22-year-old Lexus Marie Gutierrez was fatally shot while sitting in a parked car with two friends in the 600 block of South Humphreys Avenue in East Los Angeles. A person in a small four-door sedan fired at the vehicle, striking Gutierrez in the head and wounding the driver in the hand; the third occupant was uninjured. Gutierrez was pronounced dead at the scene and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the incident as a drive-by shooting. No suspects have been identified and no arrests have been announced.

Family members say Gutierrez was the eldest of three siblings and was training for a career in nursing; they describe her as kind-hearted, protective, and much loved. A makeshift memorial with candles, balloons, and flowers has been placed at the scene, and a GoFundMe has been started to help the family with funeral expenses.

Anyone who witnessed the shooting or has information that could help the investigation is asked to come forward.