Mystery sniper killing dozens of crows in this Los Angeles neighborhood

Residents of a Westchester neighborhood are understandably on edge after finding dozens of crows shot to death around an elm tree in the community, with many saying they are now worried about pets and people getting hurt by the shooter.  

The crow killings have been a mystery on 8300 block of Chase Avenue for years, though resident Brenna Lenoir and her neighbors say the situation has recently escalated.  

They also say there appears to be no rhyme or reason for the shootings, that sometimes several crows are found dead from gunfire, while other times it’s just one or two.  

Lenoir told KTLA’s Mary Beth McDade that she and her neighbors can hear the shots coming from the east, one block over.  

“It’s really scary because I don’t know if a bullet is going to ricochet or something,” she explained. “You don’t know who the person is or their mental state.”  

The most recent incidents happened on March 8. Three crows were found shot dead, while another was injured.  

Lenoir treated the bird and took it to the California Wildlife Center in Calabasas in hopes that they could save the animal.  

Residents say that over the years, at least 100 of the birds, including two hawks, which are illegal to shoot, have been killed, most likely with a pellet or Airsoft rifle.  

Police have responded to the area several times and suggested neighbors pull their resources and set up cameras facing east to see if they can catch any of the activity.  

“I just want this to stop,” Lenoir told KTLA. “I want us to feel safe and I don’t want to have dead birds all around our neighborhood anymore. It’s pretty upsetting.”