On August 21, 2023, at approximately 10:02 a.m., Pasadena Police Department officers responded to reports of multiple gunshots in the 200 block of South Raymond Avenue, near Del Mar Boulevard. Upon arrival, they discovered 34-year-old Pasadena resident Jamila Elysse Moss unresponsive on the exterior grounds of an apartment complex. She was pronounced dead at the scene, with the Los Angeles County Coroner later determining the cause of death to be blunt force trauma, classifying it as a
homicide.
Investigators quickly identified an apartment unit within the complex connected to the victim and determined that the suspect had barricaded himself inside. The Pasadena Police Department, with assistance from the Glendale Police Department's SWAT teams and crisis negotiators, established a containment around the complex. After several hours of negotiation, 32-year-old Los Angeles resident and parolee Guary Lonnie Shuford III surrendered to SWAT officers without incident.
Shuford, who was on parole for a prior robbery conviction, was arrested and charged with murder and possession of a firearm by a felon. He pleaded not guilty to the charges in September 2023 and remains in custody with bail set at $3.075 million. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for January 22, 2024, at the Pasadena Courthouse.
The tragic incident, believed to be related to domestic violence, prompted an extensive police response, including evacuations and a temporary shutdown of nearby Metro services. The community was deeply affected by Moss's death, with a GoFundMe campaign established to support her family and raise awareness about domestic violence.
