US: A 24-year-old man was arrested yesterday by police investigating the fatal shooting of the eldest sister of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams in a poor Los Angeles suburb.
Mr Aaron Michael Hammer was being held without bail as a suspect in the death on Sunday of Ms Yetunde Price (31), in Compton, an area known for gang violence, about 30 km south of Los Angeles, the LA County Sheriff's Office said.
Mr Hammer will face a first-degree murder charge at his arraignment, expected today, sheriff's deputy Johnie Jones said. No further details were available.
Ms Price was shot at 12.15 a.m. on Sunday outside a house that witnesses described as abandoned, LA sheriff's deputy Bill Spear said. There had been a confrontation between neighbourhood residents and Ms Price, who was travelling in a white sports utility vehicle with a man, Mr Rolland Wormley (28), Mr Spear said. Mr Wormley, who was not injured, was later arrested on a parole violation, the sheriff's office said yesterday. It was unclear who had been driving the vehicle.
Ms Price died of gunshot wounds to her upper body a short time after arriving at a local hospital, sheriff's deputy Alba Yates said. The mother of three owned a Los Angeles-area beauty salon and worked as a personal assistant to her two sisters, the Williams' family attorney Mr Keven Davis said.
"Obviously all in the family are very devastated and shocked by this news," Mr Davis said.
Serena Williams, who will turn 22 on September 26th, is the No 3 female tennis player in the world. Venus (23) is the No 6 female tennis player in the world.
Family spokeswoman Ms Raymone Bain said the tennis pro sisters had been out of town when they heard the news. "Venus was on the east coast and Serena was in Toronto filming a movie," she said.
Police had initially surrounded the house, where it was believed between one and three suspects were barricaded.
But police later determined the suspects had left before they arrived, sheriff's deputy Richard Pena said. An assault rifle may have been used in the shooting, police said.