Teen killed, another teen injured in Southwest Fresno shooting

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Kayla Foster was set to graduate from Central High School in just a few days. She recently went to prom with her twin brother-- they were best friends.

"He had all kind of girls wanting to go with him, tall, good-looking, but he took his sister," said Cheryl Sumler, Foster's grandmother.

But Foster's life was taken away early Monday morning during what may have been a drive-by shooting outside a home on Bardell Avenue in Southwest Fresno.

"The best information we have at this point in time, there was a vehicle that drove through the location just prior to the shots being fired," said Sgt. Pete Boyer, Fresno Police Department.

A 17-year-old boy was also shot-- both victims were taken to Community Regional Medical Center where Foster died a short time later. Police said they are interviewing the 17-year-old.

"My baby was innocent, she just happened to be an innocent bystander," said Cheryl.

Cheryl is one of the founders of Fresno's Take a Stand Committee. Through community outreach, the committee tries to steer Fresno's youth away from acts of senseless violence.

It is violence that Cheryl never thought would hit so close to home. She said her granddaughter was actively involved with the group, and never had anything to do with gangs or drugs.

"Now we gotta go bury my baby, she's not even going to graduate with her twin coming up in 10 days. So I need ya'll to take a stand and help us, join us, we gotta fight this together."

Family members said Fresno's gang violence has gotten out of control, and needs to be stopped. They said families of troubled teens need to intervene and ask anyone with information on foster's death to come forward.

"We need to find out who did this and have them pay for this. This is such a travesty right now," said Janice Sumler, Kayla's great aunt.

"And whoever killed my baby, you need to turn yourself in, cause you got yours coming, you need to turn yourself in and I mean that. You hurt, you hurt, and it hurts deep," said Cheryl.

Family members said Kayla was going to attend Fresno City College and wanted to go into the medical field, because she loved helping people.