Tuesday, 28 July 2026, 21:01
A young mother was killed by a stray bullet that tore through her bedroom window in South Los Angeles, leaving her 1-year-old daughter without a parent. The incident, which occurred early Sunday, July 19, has devastated the family and raised concerns about gun violence in residential areas.
The Los Angeles Police Department responded to a shooting call at 3:35 a.m. on Sunday, July 19, in the 400 block of 103rd Street in the Vermont Vista neighborhood. Officers found Maria Barrios Ventura, 20, dead from a gunshot wound to the head, according to an LAPD spokesperson. Paramedics attempted to save her, but she was pronounced dead at the scene. The L.A. County Medical Examiner identified Ventura as the victim and classified her death as a homicide.
Her boyfriend, Omar Misael, told NBC4 that the couple was sleeping in bed with their baby when a bullet came through the window. “A stray bullet passed through here and struck my partner, and another seven shots were fired and hit around here,” he said in Spanish. “She died about 10 minutes later.” Witnesses reported that the shooter fired from the street. Another man named Jose Chavez told NBC LA that his car was also hit by gunshots.
According to the LAPD, the shooting occurred at about 3:40 a.m. Sunday, July 19, in the 400 block of West 103rd Street, just west of the 110 Freeway. No one else was struck by gunfire or injured. The shooter fled the scene and remained at large; a description of the suspect was not available. Investigators do not believe the victim was the intended target. A witness reported seeing a male wearing a red shirt fleeing from the scene, but whether that person was the shooter or the intended victim was unknown.
The shooting occurred in the Vermont Vista neighborhood of South Los Angeles, a densely populated area in Los Angeles County. The incident highlights ongoing challenges with gun violence in the region, where stray bullets have repeatedly claimed innocent lives.
Gun violence in Los Angeles has seen fluctuations in recent years, with community groups and law enforcement working to reduce shootings. However, incidents involving stray bullets remain a tragic reality, often leaving families without clear answers or suspects.
South Bureau homicide detectives are investigating the case, but no suspects have been identified, and it is unknown if Ventura was the intended target. A GoFundMe campaign, started by her aunt Liliana Lopez, aims to raise $13,000 for funeral expenses, repatriation to Guatemala, and support for her daughter. The family described Ventura as a loving mother, noting that her absence is deeply felt. Lopez called Ventura's death a 'sudden and heartbreaking event' that has 'left her family devastated and struggling to cope with the loss.' Lopez added that currently the family has "little local support available" because all of her family is living in Guatemala. "We currently don't have anything for her daughter, and any contribution, no matter how small, would mean the world to us," Lopez wrote. "Your support will help ensure that her daughter receives the care and stability she needs."
According to the GoFundMe page, funds raised will go directly toward funeral expenses, sending her back to her family in Guatemala, and supporting her 1-year-old daughter, who now faces an uncertain future without her mother. The page also states, "With all of her family living in Guatemala, there is little local support available, and we are doing everything we can to provide for her daughter's needs during this difficult time."
The death of Maria Barrios Ventura is a heartbreaking reminder of the random nature of gun violence. As her family seeks closure and justice, the community is called upon to support her daughter and advocate for safer neighborhoods.
