Kimberly Pastor was a 19-year-old mother with a bright future ahead of her, focused on creating a stable and secure life for her young son. A student with good grades, she loved to read and was weighing her options between attending a university or enlisting in the military. Her mother, Mildred Pastor, remembered her as a good kid with dreams and goals. Kimberly was devoted to her two-year-old son, and her life revolved around building a future for him.
Her plans were cut tragically short, leaving her family heartbroken and a little boy to grow up without his mother.
On the night of Friday, October 2, 2026, Kimberly attended a party at the Artist Lounge, an event venue in a strip mall on Nordhoff Street in the Northridge neighborhood of Los Angeles, near the Cal State Northridge campus. The event was a promotional party for an up-and-coming artist, and between 100 and 200 young people were in attendance. Just after 11 p.m., officers from the Los Angeles Police Department arrived in response to a call about a loud party. As they were speaking with the organizer to shut the event down, gunfire erupted inside the crowded venue.
Cellphone video captured the chaotic moments as attendees scrambled for cover. When the shooting stopped, officers found two victims with gunshot wounds. Kimberly Pastor and 18-year-old Jaydin Lewis were both pronounced dead at the scene. Kimberly’s mother later said her daughter was an innocent bystander, caught in the crossfire of a fight that had nothing to do with her. The last text message she received from her daughter, around 10 p.m., read, "No te preocupes mom, ya voy a llegar" ("Don't worry mom, I'll be there soon"). The next morning, she learned of her daughter's death through a social media post sent to her by the father of Kimberly's child.
The investigation was taken over by the LAPD’s Robbery-Homicide Division. Detectives began searching for a male suspect, but no detailed description was released to the public. The owner of the Artist Lounge, Irene Ajemyan-Lake, stated that the event's promoter had brought in their own security for the night. She expressed her sorrow over the tragedy and urged the person responsible to surrender to the police. Family members of the victims questioned how a firearm was brought into the venue.
In the days following the shooting, the community mourned the loss of the two young lives. A vigil was held on Sunday, October 4, outside the Artist Lounge, organized by the venue's owner. Candles, flowers, photos, and handwritten messages were left at a memorial site. At the service, Kimberly’s mother tearfully spoke about her daughter's ambitions and the devastating loss for her grandson. "The baby yesterday was sleeping... the baby was asking, ‘Mamí! Mamí!,’" she shared. Kimberly's best friend, Jasmine Garza, also spoke, hoping a lesson would be learned from the tragedy.
The Lewis family, however, released a statement disapproving of the vigil being hosted at the crime scene and discouraged the public from attending. Separate GoFundMe campaigns were started by both families. The fundraiser for Kimberly was organized to provide for her son's future needs, including his care and education, honoring the life she had worked so hard to build for him.
As of October 2026, the gunman responsible for the deaths of Kimberly Pastor and Jaydin Lewis remained at large, and the investigation was ongoing. Kimberly’s mother pleaded for justice for her daughter. "That person that took her life, she was innocent," she said. "I just want justice." The LAPD urged anyone with information about the shooting to contact the Robbery-Homicide Division at (818) 374-9550. Anonymous tips can be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.
