Girl, 8, Shot Dead at Sleepover

A young girl is dead after an innocent sleepover turned into a nightmare in Oakland on Wednesday night. Alaysha Carradine, 8, was shot and killed at a friend's apartment when a gunman rang the doorbell then proceeded to fire through the door, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Alaysha's friend, 7, her friend's brother, 4, and grandmother were all injured in the attack, which has so far left family members and police with more questions than answers.

"It was like it was a bomb, an explosion, just going off so quick," said the children's uncle, the only one left unscathed in the attack; he says he doesn't believe he was the target. Alaysha's stepfather questioned whether the shooter fired at the wrong address, and remembers Alaysha, nicknamed "Ladybug," as "a breath of fresh air, one of the most smart, fun-loving, spunky kids you'd ever meet." With the gunman on the loose and no clue as to motive, police are looking for tips from the public, the San Jose Mercury News reports. (More shooting stories.)