Serenity Zanae Gershon, a 21-year-old Black female, was killed on January 18, 2022, in the Harbor Gateway area of Los Angeles, near the Gardena border. Public reporting first described the shooting as an apparent ambush: she was in a vehicle traveling north on South Ainsworth Street near West 155th Street around 11:20 a.m. when a man got out of a nearby vehicle and opened fire.
The attack happened in daylight, on a city street, with at least one other person in the car.
After the gunfire, Serenity managed to get the vehicle to the nearby intersection area before she died from her injuries. Police said two others were inside the car, including a 2-year-old child in the back seat who was not injured. Investigators were initially trying to determine whether Serenity was the intended target or whether the gunman had been aiming at the other person in the vehicle. Early reports said police were searching for the shooter and had released surveillance images while asking the public for help.
The Los Angeles Times Homicide Report listed Serenity Zanae Gershon as dying after being shot near South Ainsworth Street and West Redondo Beach Boulevard in Harbor Gateway, based on Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner records. The LAPD’s homicide victim listing gives the incident location as Redondo Beach Boulevard and Ainsworth and states that Serenity was found deceased after being shot and set on fire, adding another disturbing detail to the case beyond the initial shooting reports.
The LAPD listing currently marks “Arrest Made: Yes,” but the public page does not name the arrested person, identify a suspect, or provide details about charges, court proceedings, trial results, or a conviction. Earlier news coverage described the suspect only as a man who exited a nearby vehicle and fired into Serenity’s car. Based on available online public sources, no confirmed suspect name, motive, or case outcome has been released in the accessible reports.
