Army Veteran Shot, Killed in Lancaster Neighborhood

A memorial for the 30-year-old shooting victim grew Sunday near the site of the slaying

After three tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, Nathen Taylor was ready to make up for lost time, his brother said.

"The first words he told me when he got back was, 'Patrick, you know that I love you. You know that I haven’t been able to be there for these last eight years. But I’m gonna be here for you now, because I’m you’re big brother,'" said Patrick Taylor, whose brother was shot and killed in Lancaster early Saturday.

On Monday, candles, handwritten notes, a white cross and pictures were left at a memorial for the U.S. Army veteran.

"I can’t make sense out of this," Patrick said. "The only thing I can make sense out of it is, I know why God took him, because he’s in a better place. That’s it. I don’t know why they shot him."

Nathen Taylor was shot and killed outside his brother's house in the 700 block of West Avenue H7 early Saturday. Several men approached the vehicle in which the victim was sitting and fired into the vehicle, authorities said.

Patrick rushed out of his home to find Nathan. The 30-year-old victim was pronounced dead at a hospital about 40 minutes later. No one else was in the vehicle during the shooting.

"I feel so much pain," said sister Rachel Taylor. "The hollowness that I feel, it's so vast in my body that anger has no room."

The subjects fled on foot. Authorities have made no arrests.

Family members told NBC4 Taylor was a victim of gang violence. They stressed that he was not a gang member.

Local

Get Los Angeles's latest local news on crime, entertainment, weather, schools, COVID, cost of living and more. Here's your go-to source for today's LA news.

2 killed in Jefferson Park after accused DUI driver hits UPS truck at 100+ mph: LAPD

Some LA County residents claim local company gave them cancer with toxic chemical

Taylor was deployed just days after graduation from high school. He served in the military for eight years after graduating from Antelope Valley High School.

Taylor served three tours of duty overseas before entering Antelope Valley Community College. He was engaged to be married and has a 7-year-old daughter.

"To come home and be killed, not just in a neighborhood -- a neighborhood we grew up in," said sister Kinnzie Taylor.

Follow NBCLA for the latest LA news, events and entertainment: iPhone/iPad App | Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | Instagram | RSS | Text Alerts | Email Alerts

Contact Us