An LA-area nurse died after she was struck by two bullets that entered her apartment from a neighboring apartment which led doctors to discover stage 4 liver cancer that could not be treated due to her gunshot injuries.
Larisa Pereshivaylova, 57, was standing in her West Hollywood kitchen on April 7 at The Dylan Apartments when her neighbor, Joshua Findley, opened fire in his unit.
The bullets entered Pereshivaylova's apartment through her wall and struck her in the abdomen and neck just after 8am, her son said.
'She was shot through her liver, through her right kidney and the bullet got lodged in her spine,' Max Buydakov, 21, said.
Miraculously, the woman was able to call 911 who transported her to the hospital where stage 4 liver cancer was discovered. Due to her condition, however, doctors could not administer life-saving treatment.
Findley, 31, who had two outstanding warrants, was arrested weeks later. It's unclear why opened fire inside the building.
'She was making breakfast at 8 a.m. and she was shot through the wall,' Buydakov told KTLA in an interview following his mother's death.
When Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputies responded to the apartment in the 7100 block of Santa Monica Boulevard, they found the woman.
A SWAT helicopter circled the upscale building in West Hollywood for hours as first responders rushed the Russian immigrant to a nearby hospital.
Her son said one bullet caused severe damage to her liver, kidney, and spine, while another bullet landed in her neck.
Pereshivaylova recovered from her shooting injuries and was ultimately released but was later readmitted.
Doctors then made a startling discovery: liver cancer.
'She was diagnosed with stage 4 liver cancer while she was hospitalized for the shooting,' Buydakov said.
Due to her worsening condition from her gunshot injuries, her son said she was unable to receive chemotherapy for her cancer.
'We couldn't even start any treatment because her condition was not stable from the shooting,' her son explained.
On Sunday evening, the mother and nurse died. It's currently unclear if her cancer, the gunshot injuries, or a combination of the two was her cause of death.
Buydakov said he is choosing to remember his mother as someone who was loving and compassionate and full of live, even as he grieves.
'I don't think there's any sort of prep course or anything like that could have prepared me for what I have dealt with,' he told KTLA.
According to her son, Pereshivaylova, was hoping to be remembered for her kindness and her service toward her community as a dedicated nurse.
Her family has since started a GoFundMe to help cover funeral expenses and medical bills left over following her death.
As of Tuesday, May 23, the fundraiser has brought in just over $10,000.
'Max and his mom are good hard working people. She was his support system, its tragic she is now gone before her time,' one donor wrote in a comment.
Findley initially managed to escape from the apartment complex where the shooting took place and went on the run for several weeks.
On May 9, the suspected shooter was taken into custody by deputies with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
Findley is currently being held for two unrelated outstanding warrants including a parole violation and illegal possession of a firearm, LASD said.