A 64-year-old Richmond woman, called "Granny" by everyone, was shot to death while she slept as bullets ripped through her apartment.
Richmond police tell us the city's shot spotter system sent officers to the 100 block of 20th Avenue just before 11 p.m. When they got there they found two people had been hit by bullets.
"Granny was our joy," neighbor Cymande Russell said. "Granny was like the mother of this building."
Bonnita Todd was a fixture in her community, which is why her sudden and violent death has come as a shock.
"I heard it like it was coming through my walls, so I instantly hit the floor," Russell said. "It was like two shots first and then it just kept on going."
Police say more than a dozen shots were fired. Police markers identify most of the holes. The victim's daughter, Lisa McGuire, is still coming to terms with the loss of her mother.
"Even people she didn't know, she'd always talk to," McGuire said. "They havin a bad day, 'it's okay sweetie, it will get better.' They shot her all them times, don't know why."
Russell walked me through the house, showing me where bullets came through the wall and the rounds that came through and hit Todd in her head, side, and back. The 64-year-old died from her injuries a short time later.
"Granny was a good woman and it's so unfortunate that someone was so heartless to shoot up her house and take her away from us," Russell said.
Investigators tell ABC7 News the shooting was not random, that the home was targeted, but Todd was not who the shooter was after.
"Right now the investigation is showing her son was possibly the intended target," Detective Nicole Abetkov said.
Police are not identifying Todd's 40-year-old son. They tell us he was also hit by gunfire, treated at the scene, and released.
Granny's friends and family held a candlelight vigil Thursday night. They're asking anyone with information to contact Richmond police at (510) 233-1214. Those who wish to remain anonymous may call (510) 232-8477. A $10,000 reward being offered for information leading police to the shooter.
The killing is Richmond's 11th homicide this year and the second in the past week.
Richmond resident Juan Medrano, 20, was shot and killed while driving along Richmond Parkway last Friday.
Richmond police are investigating 10 of this year's homicides, and BART police are investigating the 11th, a fatal shooting that occurred at the Richmond BART station on March 14.
(Bay City News contributed to this report.)
