It was a Saturday evening in a year marked by a surge of violence in Los Angeles. The date was September 26, 2020, and across the county, the homicide rate was climbing at a pace not seen in years. By the end of the year, the city of Los Angeles would record a significant jump in killings compared to the previous year, a grim statistic reflecting a turbulent period for the sprawling metropolis.
In the unincorporated community of Westmont, a dense neighborhood of modest single-family homes and small apartment buildings east of Inglewood, the night was unfolding. Westmont is a largely middle-income area, a diverse urban-suburban mix of families who mostly rent their homes. Its streets are lined with residences built predominantly in the decades after World War II.
On one of these streets, in the 1600 block of West 95th Street, Wayne Phillip Crump Jr. was sitting in his vehicle. Mr. Crump, a 39-year-old Black man, was stationary when another car suddenly pulled up alongside his. The quiet of the evening was shattered by the sound of gunfire.
An occupant in the second vehicle opened fire, striking Mr. Crump. The assailants' car then sped away, disappearing into the night. When first responders arrived, they found Mr. Crump fatally wounded. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation fell to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Homicide Bureau. In the days and weeks that followed, detectives worked the case, but crucial details remained elusive. No description of the suspect or the getaway vehicle was ever publicly released, and investigators have not announced a motive for the shooting.
Years have passed, and the case has grown cold. No arrests have been made, and the murder of Wayne Phillip Crump Jr. remains unsolved, one of many homicides from a violent year that left families grieving and communities searching for answers. The investigation remains open, awaiting a new lead that might finally bring a measure of justice.
Investigators urge anyone with information about the shooting of Wayne Phillip Crump Jr. to come forward. Tips can be directed to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Homicide Bureau at 890-5500.
