16-year-old girl dies after being shot outside Selma home

SELMA, Calif. (KFSN) -- There are few leads in a homicide case out of Selma where a 16-year-old girl was shot and killed Thursday night in front of a friend's home.

Police are also searching for witnesses who scattered when the shooting happened. Friends we spoke to believe 16-year-old Desiree Austin was caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.

A car with its windows shattered sits in front of the Selma home shielding a group of friends when they were forced to take cover.

"Heard gunshots, ducked my head and ran," Austin's friend said.

Witnesses say the suspects were in a dark-colored SUV and fired at least seven rounds.

"She looked so much in shock, she wasn't saying nothing to me," her friend recalled. "I just told her to keep her eyes on me and to keep breathing."

Detectives believe the suspect used a small caliber weapon. It's part of the reason why paramedics didn't notice all the victim's injuries at first - not realizing she had also been hit in the torso.

"It only appeared to be a superficial wound to her arm, but once she was transported to the hospital, further examination discovered another wound," Police Chief Greg Garner explained.

Police don't believe the victim was affiliated with a gang, and she had never been in trouble with the police. Friends say Desiree was a bright student with an even brighter future who recently beginning her sophomore year at Selma High School.

"This shouldn't have happened to her, makes me sad," her friend.

Detectives have already spoken to several witnesses but are hoping those who ran away before they arrived will come forward and speak to find this young girl's killer.

Selma High School said it had six to seven grief counselors on campus Friday available for any grieving students.

Desiree's family set up a GoFundMe account.