Lorain shooting that killed girl, 2, not random but 'targeted'

LORAIN — Police believe the victims of a triple shooting that left a toddler dead on the city's west side on Sunday were part of a "targeted" attack, not a random crime. Lorain police Capt. Roger Watkins said detectives are continuing to investigate the shooting death of 2-year-old Kamila Patterson and the wounding of 62-year-old Constance Mays and 20-year-old Hassan Lauderdale. Watkins said police are treating the incident as a "targeted" assault on the victims' house in the 1900 block of West 21st Street near Reeves Avenue on Sunday. "It's not a random attack. That's what we believe," he said. Watkins said Kamila was "just an innocent victim" of the gunfire. The victims all are part of the same extended family, he said. The gunman is described as Black and wearing all black clothes and a black mask. Anyone with information is asked to call Lorain police Detective Chris Colon at (440) 204-2105. No more information was expected from police Monday night as they continued to investigate. Watkins said more information might be released today. Mays and Lauderdale were taken to Mercy Health Lorain Hospital for treatment, and their conditions could not immediately be determined. A hospital spokesperson said Monday afternoon that the medical center did not have any patients by those names. The young victim's family couldn't immediately be reached by The Chronicle-Telegram for comment. Councilwoman Pam Carter, D-Ward 3, said she stopped by the home but the family declined to talk. It wasn't clear if a high-speed chase involving a driver in a red car who was chased by Lorain police and ended up crashing in Bay Village on Monday was related to Sunday's shooting. The chase ended in the area of Lake Road and Glen Park Drive, with a suspect apparently in custody. Bay Village and Westlake police officers assisted Lorain police with that incident, but Watkins said he couldn't comment on it. "I won't confirm or deny" the chase was related to the shooting, he said. Contact Dave O'Brien at (440) 329-7129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com. Follow him @daveobrienCT on Twitter.