A pregnant teenager was shot dead in San Pablo Monday, less than a week before her baby shower. Her unborn child did not survive either, police said.
The shooting was reported around 7:50 p.m. Monday on the 1700 block of 17th Street. Officers found an 18-year-old woman, identified Tuesday as Ilaysia McCoy, lying on the road, bleeding from a gunshot wound.
McCoy was seven months pregnant, according to her family. Despite being rushed to an area hospital, the teenager and her unborn baby died as a result of trauma from the shooting, police said.
McCoy's sister Shawn MacLuve has created a GoFundMe page to cover burial expenses. The family has been blindsided because the teenager was preparing for her baby shower on Sept. 11, but was instead killed, she wrote.
McCoy was "shot unexpectedly being in the wrong place at the wrong time," MacLuve said. In seven hours, 10 people have raised $360 of the fund's $5,000 goal.
"Your support is all we have. My sister would humbly appeciate all the help and support if she was here with us," she continued.
Meanwhile, residents of the San Pablo neighborhood were reeling Tuesday, and asked to remain anonymous for fear that the shooter is outstanding. Some said they heard gunshots ring out Monday, but took cover instead of trying to see what was going on.
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Calling the shooting a "tragedy," one neighbor commented, "That's a young life to go." People were horrified, saying they hope justice is served and the person responsible for the deaths is arrested.
Some residents said the shooting was centered around a specific house, but police would not confirm that fact. They said only that investigators have strong leads in the case and hope to make an announcement soon.
"We are exploring all the angles and if something leads us to believe that we need to look at something, such as domestic violence, then we will," said San Pablo Police Cmdr. Sid DeJesus. "But at this point, we are treating this as an 'isolated incident.'"
An investigation is ongoing.
"People we talked to just want to see an arrest made," DeJesus said.
People with information about the shooting are asked to call the San Pablo Police Investigations Division at 510-215-3150 or the West Contra Costa Crime Stoppers tip line at 510-799-8255. All callers can remain anonymous.
