Police are searching for a 20-year-old woman accused of shooting a 19-year-old single mother in the back outside her home after an argument turned into a fight on a residential street, authorities said.
The killing of Niliyah Montgomery on Feb. 1 has drawn attention in San Bernardino because it happened in front of witnesses, police said, and because her family has spoken publicly about the loss. Detectives later identified Elvia Johnson as the suspect and said she is wanted on a homicide warrant. As of late February, police said Johnson remained at large and the investigation was continuing.
Officers were called about 5 p.m. Feb. 1 to the 1600 block of West Concord Street after reports of a physical altercation involving several people, police said. The block sits near West Ninth Street and Medical Center Drive in a neighborhood of single-family homes and small apartment buildings. Police said Montgomery was part of the confrontation and that the dispute escalated into a fistfight. Family members told local television that Montgomery had gone outside to argue with someone she knew, and that the disagreement quickly spread into a larger scuffle in the street and near the sidewalk.
Police said the fight ended and Montgomery began walking back toward her home when the shooting happened. Detectives said Johnson got into a vehicle, pulled out a gun and fired a single shot that struck Montgomery in the back. Officers and paramedics rushed to the scene and took Montgomery to a hospital, where she later died, police said. Montgomery’s mother, Tasha Montgomery, described her daughter running toward her moments after the shot. “My baby come running into my arms saying, ‘Mom,’ with blood coming out her mouth,” she said in a televised interview, adding that the family tried to grasp what was happening as they waited for answers.
Investigators have released few details about what sparked the argument or who threw the first punch. Police have not said what kind of firearm was used, whether the weapon has been recovered, or how far away the shooter was when the shot was fired. Detectives also have not said whether the vehicle belonged to Johnson, who was driving it, or whether anyone else inside the car is being treated as a suspect or a witness. Authorities have not publicly said whether surveillance video captured the moments before or after the shooting, or whether investigators have collected phone video from bystanders. Police have said only that multiple people were present and that detectives have been working through witness accounts and evidence gathered at the scene.
In the weeks after the shooting, detectives worked to identify the person they believe fired the shot. By late February, police publicly named Johnson and released her photo in an alert, saying she had an active warrant and should be considered armed and dangerous. A police bulletin described Johnson as 20 and listed her date of birth as Dec. 6, 2005. Some news reports listed her as 21, but police statements consistently described her as 20. Authorities have not said whether they have located the vehicle linked to the shooting or whether they believe Johnson left the area. Police also have not said whether she has an attorney or whether she has contacted investigators since the warrant was issued.
For Montgomery’s family, the case has been defined by the speed of the violence and the sudden absence left behind. Relatives said Montgomery was raising a 3-year-old daughter named Junie. Her mother said Montgomery had returned to school while trying to build a stable life for herself and her child after leaving high school when she became pregnant. Family members have described the shooting as senseless and have pleaded for an arrest, saying a conflict that started as an argument should not have ended with a death outside the front door. In the days after the killing, friends and neighbors left flowers and candles near the home, according to accounts shared by local media.
The block where the shooting happened is part of a city that has long wrestled with violent crime, including shootings that flare up in small disputes and street fights. Local law enforcement officials have often said in public meetings that many incidents begin with personal conflicts that turn deadly when someone has a gun. In this case, police said, the shot came after the fistfight appeared to be over, a point investigators have emphasized as they describe the final moments before Montgomery was hit from behind. The case also underscores how hard it can be to sort out fast-moving scenes with many witnesses, where people may see only pieces of what happened and share different versions of the same seconds.
Police have not announced an arrest or said when Johnson might be located. Authorities have not released court filings laying out a detailed account of probable cause, and they have not provided a timeline for when prosecutors might file or unseal additional documents in the case. Detectives have said the investigation remains active as they follow leads and seek to locate Johnson. Police have urged people not to approach her and to contact law enforcement instead, describing her as potentially armed. Officials have not said whether any reward has been offered, and they have not identified anyone else as a suspect in the killing.
As of Fri., Feb. 27, police said Johnson remained at large and investigators were still asking for information from people who were in the area that evening. The next major step in the case is expected to be an arrest and a first court appearance, which would allow prosecutors to outline allegations in open court and begin the formal legal process.
Author note: Last updated Feb. 28, 2026.