Woman in Washington state dies from 15-year-old gunshot wound

In what authorities have deemed a homicide, a woman in Kent, Washington died last week from injuries sustained during a 1996 shooting.

Lakessha LaShawn Johnson, 34, was found dead at her home on Nov. 8, but not from any recent injury or crime. Kent Police Lt. Patrick Lowery said Johnson died after complications from a gunshot wound inflicted more than 15 years ago in either Renton or Seattle.

The King County Medical Examiner's Office said today that Johnson had been shot in the spine, leaving her paralyzed and suffering from "multiple chronic pressure ulcers," the medical equivalent of bed sores, which became infected over time. They have not yet said whether the bullet was still lodged in Johnson's body at the time of her death.

"We will be reaching out to both [police] agencies to determine where the original shooting occurred and pass this information on to that agency," Lowery said.