Police are searching for a 20-year-old woman accused of shooting a 19-year-old single mother in the back outside her San Bernardino home after an argument turned into a fight, authorities said.
Detectives identified the suspect as Elvia Johnson and said she is wanted on a homicide warrant in the Feb. 1 killing of Niliyah Montgomery. The case has drawn attention across the Inland Empire because it unfolded in front of multiple witnesses and because the victim’s family has pleaded publicly for an arrest as investigators continue to track down the suspect.
Officers were called to West Concord Street around 5 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 1, after reports of a physical altercation involving multiple people, police said. The confrontation happened outside a home on the 1500 or 1600 block of West Concord Street, an area near West Ninth Street and Medical Center Drive, according to police statements carried by local media. Family members said Montgomery had gone outside to argue with a friend, and the disagreement escalated into a fistfight.
Police said the fight ended and Montgomery started walking back toward her house when the shooting happened. Detectives said Johnson got into a vehicle 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 the moments after the shot in an interview with local television. She said her daughter ran toward her, calling out “Mom,” with blood coming from her mouth. Tasha Montgomery said her daughter was her firstborn child and “everything” to her family, and she described trying to process the death of a young woman she believed still had a long life ahead.
Police have not publicly released a detailed account of what sparked the argument or who threw the first punch, and investigators have not said whether anyone else in the group was injured. Authorities have also not said what kind of firearm was used, how far away the shooter was, or whether the weapon has been recovered. Detectives have said only that the shot came after the fight appeared to be over and as the victim was walking away.
In the weeks after the killing, investigators worked to identify a suspect from witness accounts and the evidence gathered at the scene. By late February, police publicly named Johnson as the person they believe fired the shot. Authorities said she has an active warrant for her arrest and warned that she should be considered armed and dangerous. Some outlets described Johnson as 20, matching police statements, while another report listed her as 21. Police have consistently described the suspect as 20 in their public appeals for help locating her.
The public search for Johnson also highlighted how often street fights can draw crowds quickly and leave investigators sorting through conflicting stories. Police have said multiple people were present when the fight and shooting occurred, and the volume of witnesses can be both a help and a challenge. It can provide more possible sources of information, but it can also produce inconsistent accounts as people recall a fast-moving scene from different angles.
Family members said Montgomery’s death left a small child without her mother. Tasha Montgomery said her daughter was raising a 3-year-old girl named Junie. She said Montgomery had returned to school as she tried to build a better life for herself and her daughter after dropping out when she became pregnant. The family has described the shooting as senseless and has said the dispute that began the confrontation was not worth a life.
Police have not said whether Montgomery and Johnson knew each other well or whether the disagreement involved a longer-running dispute. Investigators also have not said whether the fight involved only the two women or whether other people joined in. Authorities have not released court documents outlining probable cause, and they have not said whether surveillance video captured the scene. The lack of those details has left the public record focused on what police say they can prove right now: a fight occurred, the victim walked away, and the suspect fired a single shot from a vehicle.
The location of the shooting, a residential block in San Bernardino, has become part of the community’s grief. Neighbors and friends have left flowers and candles in some accounts of the aftermath, and relatives have spoken about the pain of seeing a life taken at the doorstep of home. The case has also revived concerns about gun violence in the city and how quickly a verbal dispute can turn deadly when a firearm is introduced.
Police have asked anyone with information about Johnson’s whereabouts to contact the department’s homicide unit. In public statements shared by local media, investigators provided direct phone numbers for the unit, including contacts for Detective Donald Roy at 909-998-3497 and Sgt. Erik Campos at 909-998-3491. Authorities have urged people not to approach Johnson and to call police instead if they see her.
For Montgomery’s family, the search has been agonizing because they believe witnesses know more than has been shared publicly. Tasha Montgomery has said she hopes someone steps forward to help detectives make an arrest. She has also said she wants her daughter remembered as more than a victim in a police bulletin, describing her as a young mother who loved her child and was working to move forward with her life.
The case remains under investigation, and police have not announced an arrest or said whether Johnson has retained an attorney. Investigators have not released an updated timeline of events leading up to the shooting or said whether prosecutors have filed additional allegations beyond homicide. They have also not said whether the driver of the vehicle, if someone else was driving, is being investigated or sought as a witness.
As of Friday, Feb. 27, 2026, San Bernardino police said Johnson remained at large, and detectives continued to seek tips from the public. The next major milestone is expected to be an arrest or a formal court filing that lays out the prosecution’s case, including any evidence that clarifies what happened in the moments between the fight ending and the single shot that killed Montgomery.
Author note: Last updated February 27, 2026.