Quanisha Pitts, 17

Quanisha Pitts, 17, a young black woman, was struck in the back and neck by gunfire in the 1200 block of South Wadsworth Avenue in Compton. Her time of death at a hospital was listed as 12:54 a.m. Saturday, May 26.

She had gone a movie that night in Lakewood with a young man, 21. Before he took her back to her parents, he had brought her by his own parents' house in Compton for a brief visit. She had to be home by midnight, and they were running a little late. The young man was in a hurry to get Quanisha home as soon as possible, and they got back into the car.

They pulled out and passed some young men standing on the street--gang members, said Los Angeles County Sheriff's Det. Todd Anderson. As the group receded in the rearview mirror, the back windshield shattered. One of the people on the street had fired a gun--a bullet out of the dark.

It struck Quanisha, leaving her severely wounded. Her date kept driving, speeding away to safety with Quanisha bleeding next to him. He took two turns, pulled into the front yard of her parents' home nearby, and frantically leaned on the horn. Her family came running out, and saw her there. "A really good girl. A hard-working guy," Anderson said of the pair. "He is just completely torn up by this."

Daily Breeze

Comments

[Rick]

This is another senseless shooting of a young black female by some idiot with a gun in the Compton area. I agree alot people protest when the police do a shootingr or something but, nothing on something like this. Now, a young woman out on a date is gunned down for nothing. I hope the male friend of hers did not have any kind of confrontation with the suspects before the shooting.

[Kris Peterson]

I am e-mailing this from the Detroit area. I was born in Hollywood and raised here. Man, it seemed that I just read that you had four murders in one day. Whatever happened to the 5, "Thou Shall Not Kill"? You Latinos are supposed to be Catholic. Man, Detroit is a joke compared to out there....we seem so small town. You got some kick-but musica though. Get over all of that crazy feces. Daym, yawl!!

[K.Winn]

What a shame that this young lady was shot and killed for no reason at all. Two young Black people out enjoying the night shot at by hoodlums with nothing better to do with their time!! I read this section every week and it's heartbreaking to continually read about people being killed for absolutely no reason at all. What can you do to change the mind of someone with that "I don't give a damn" mentality? I wish I had the answers!!

[Mark T.]

The people in Compton do things like this because they are poor and desperate--but this, I don't understand why anyone would do it. People get into gangs because they don't have any money and they need a sense of belonging. What they don't understand is, shooting a young, innocent girl in the back doesn't help, and only makes the situation in Compton worse. If more murders, drug deals, etc. happen in Compton, the less likely anyone would want to help, because they're scared of it. My condolences go out to the family and friends of this girl, and the countless other people who have been affected by senseless violence such as this.

[Lani]

well this was my friends sister...and i am really sad for her family....i only meet QUANISHA once....i sad that that would be the last....I know where they live and everything but i just cant belive this happened....god bless their family...and whoever has done this to QUANISHA...shall be found and punished....something happened like this to my cousins about one or to years ago....her name was Nicole Williamson....sadly i really never got to meet her either....but back to QUANISHA i am so sad...just thinking about what would have done if i was QUANISHA's sister i really dont know....but my hopes and prayers are with the family and everybody that is thinkin g of her....she is in a better place now....and she is looking down on you and watching your every moves so just let her live threw you and your family should be fine....god bless you guys

[gee]

i am sad to hear about this young queen that life was taken by a coward i just want to say to the black gangs wake up the killing among us must stop look around you some law enforcement don't want to say it but this crime was race related if it was done by a latino in compton those are race wars but the police can't say it because then the feds come in i work for a non-profit that deals with this issue

[Pat]

Kids don't join gangs for a sense of belonging. Thats something people who have no experience in the issue say. Kids join because they think its fun, and because the party never stops. They wanna drink, smoke weed, not go to school as much as possible, and have sex. All the other stuff like selling drugs, prostitution, robbing, etc are just side effects most of the time coordinated by older/smarter guys who simply manipulate the younger ones, using their want to have fun against them. "Want some weed? Get me a stereo and I'll hook you up with a sack" that's how radios get stolen. Then you have these kids who stand out on the streets all night drunk or high as hell and do things they never thought they would. The police need to get the older, more seasoned, smarter, guys under wraps. Who do you think the kids learn from? It's like having a dad who tells you to rob, kill, and not care.

[Najia Pitts]

2 years later i wanna really say i miss my big sister so much.I honestly dont see why her life had to end so soon over people being dumb.I just hope that whoever did this will get what they deserve.My sister didnt deserve this she had so many dreams ahead of her & now its soon to be 2 years since she's been gone& its a real struggle getting over losing her but i know she in a much better place now. I just hope that this is and will be a lesson & wake calling to everyone out there. She was innocent.
I LOVE YOU BIG SISTER YOU WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN.