1 killed, 1 wounded at Watts vigil for woman allegedly slain by boyfriend

A shooting at a candlelight vigil in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles left one person dead and another hospitalized Sunday, as mourners had gathered to honor a 32-year-old mother of four whose own death days earlier her family says was a homicide, not a suicide.

The violence compounds the grief of a community already mourning Albertshay Russell, 32, who was killed earlier in the week on Santa Ana Street. Her family disputes authorities' initial suicide ruling, citing defensive wounds on her hands and alleging her boyfriend pulled the trigger.

Los Angeles Police Department officers responded to reports of gunfire near East 104th Street and Wilmington Avenue around 2 a.m. and found two victims at the vigil site, according to ABC7 Los Angeles. One person died at the scene; a second victim was transported to a hospital and listed in stable condition. No suspect was in custody as of Sunday.

The gathering had been organized to mourn Russell, who was fatally shot on Santa Ana Street earlier in the week. Family members say her boyfriend killed her and that at least one of her four children witnessed the attack, ABC7 reported.

Investigators initially classified Russell's death as a suicide. Her family has challenged that determination, pointing to what they describe as defensive wounds on her hands. The boyfriend's mother reportedly called 911 after the shooting and characterized the death as a suicide, according to ABC7.

Russell's sister, Antoinette Byrd, paid tribute to her in a GoFundMe statement, writing that she "was a beautiful person inside and out and captured everyone's heart with her vibrant energy. In your saddest moments, she could lift your spirit with just a simple smile, laugh, or dance."

The circumstances surrounding Russell's original death remain under investigation, and police have released no further details about a suspect in the vigil shooting.

Russell is survived by her four children. A GoFundMe campaign has been established to support her family.