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Woman Killed In Mysterious Hollywood Shooting ID'd As Production Assistant
Police have identified the woman who was shot and killed in Hollywood over the weekend as Carrie Jean Melvin.Her father, Bernie Melvin, told the L.A. Times that his 30-year-old daughter moved to Hollywood four years ago to pursue a career in the entertainment industry after studying film at UC Santa Cruz. She worked as a waitress, bartender and production assistant in Los Angeles. In June, she became the CEO of a social media management company, according to her LinkedIn.
Bernie said that Carrie was well-liked and loving. "Everyone you talked to just loved her," he told the Times. "She was a joy to be around. When she looked at you, you felt like you were in the spotlight."
Carrie was tragically murdered on Sunday night when she was walking with her boyfriend from her apartment on McCadden Place toward Sunset Boulevard—just a couple of blocks away from the bustling Highland Avenue—to a restaurant. A man walked up to Carrie, pulled out a shotgun and shot her in the head before getting into a black sedan and fleeing. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Her boyfriend, who has not been identified, wasn't hurt, and told authorities that no words were exchanged before the shooting. There didn't appear to be any signs that this was the result of a botched robbery either.
"We just don’t know,” LAPD detective John Skaggs told the Times. “On the one hand, she didn’t have any known enemies. On the other hand, it looks like it was directed toward her.... We’re looking at all angles."
Authorities are still searching for the suspect whom they describe as a black man in his mid-20s standing about 6-feet tall. He was wearing dark clothes, including a dark hooded jacket at the time of the shooting.
Bernie told NBC Los Angeles that Carrie, who grew up in Morro Bay—a city in San Luis Obispo County—was "the light of our life." He says he spoke to her often, noting that she said she was in a happy relationship with her boyfriend.
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Anyone with information about the shooting is urged to call detectives at (213) 382-9470 or the LAPD’s tip line at (877) 527-3247.
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