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70-Year-Old Woman Fatally Shot After Answering Her Door, Police Say

By  Aidan Gardiner and Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska | March 31, 2015 8:50am 

 Leta Webb was killed at her front door in South Jamaica Monday morning, police said.
Leta Webb was killed at her front door in South Jamaica Monday morning, police said.
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DNAinfo.com/Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska

QUEENS — A 70-year-old woman was fatally shot in the head when she answered the door of her South Jamaica home early Monday morning, police said. Relatives and neighbors said they believe the victim was not the target.

Leta Webb, who, family and neighbors said, lived in the neighborhood for more than two decades, had just opened the front door of her 119th Avenue home near 153rd Street about 1:30 a.m. when someone shot her in the head and left arm, an NYPD spokesman said.

Webb was pronounced dead at Jamaica Hospital, police said.

The shooter fled the scene and hadn't been arrested as of Tuesday morning, police said.

Kevin McDowell, Webb’s son-in-law who lives in the home with Webb, said he believed the bullets were "not meant for her."

"She was the best," he said. "Everybody in this neighborhood loved her."

He said he was "half asleep" when he heard "somebody banging on the door: bang, bang, bang."

"She went to open the door and I heard the gunshots," said McDowell who lives on the second floor. 

McDowell, who said he heard five shots, ran downstairs and found his mother-in-law with "the bullet in her head."

He said he did not hear any words being exchanged between Webb and the shooter. 

He also said that by the time he got downstairs, the shooter was gone.

Webb, relatives and neighbors said, shared home with McDowell and her three sons, who lived in the basement and were home when the shooting happened.

Herman Williams, 55, who lives across the street, said that he heard several shots. "And then I heard somebody hollering outside," Williams said. "That was her son saying: "They shot my mom, they shot my mom."

Neighbors who were gathering outside the home on Tuesday said that Webb was a well liked person in the neighborhood. 

"She was a very nice lady," said Tyesha Davis, 28. "She always helps out in the neighborhood, she is very nice to the kids."

Davis was also convinced that Webb was not the target.

"They retaliate on the family," she said referring to the shooter. "And that's not good."  

Police officials said the motive for the shooting was not immediately known.