Mother and Daughter Fatally Shot Near Calif. School While Waiting at Stoplight

A mother and daughter were fatally shot as they sat in a vehicle together near a California school, authorities said.

The two victims names’ were withheld, but on Wednesday, April 2, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Lt. DeJong identified the deceased as a 45-year-old woman and her 22-year-old daughter, per a press release.

Deputies from Compton Sheriff’s Station were dispatched just after 7 p.m. EST Tuesday, April 1, to the intersection of Caldwell Street and Central Avenue, near Caldwell Street Elementary.

Authorities arrived to find the two women dead, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.

Their Toyota sedan had crashed onto the sidewalk near a traffic pole. One woman’s body was discovered in the street, while the other body was still in the car.

“Investigators learned the victims were in their vehicle on Caldwell Street, stopped at the signal light, when a vehicle pulled alongside,” the press release read. “Investigators believe an occupant in the other vehicle [opened] fire on the victims.”

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

“The suspect vehicle fled the scene southbound on Central Avenue,” the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department added.

Footage from local news stations KTLA and NBC Los Angeles showed crowds later gathering, observing the car, which had a white sheet covering the windshield area.

Neighbor Debbie Shaw spoke with NBC Los Angeles about the fatal shooting after talking to the 22-year-old’s boyfriend.

“She did just pick up her mother from work,” Shaw told the news station. “To come out here to see a mother and a daughter, that’s really heartbreaking.”

Diedra Culpepper, who also lives in the area, added, “It’s devastation. Compton is heartbroken right now.”