A teenager visiting family members in the Bay Area to celebrate his 17th birthday was gunned down early Friday in a housing complex in Marin City, authorities said.

Family members told KTVU that Lavanial Williams was in the Bay Area from his home in Weed visiting his mother, two sisters and brother and celebrating his birthday.

Marin County Sheriff’s Lt. Jamie Scardina said there were numerous 911 calls made from the housing complex at 12:16 a.m. reporting shots fired. Officers quickly responded and found Williams body with two or three wounds in it at the base of an outdoor stairway.

"We're still processing the evidence," said Scardina when asked for more details on Marin’s second homicide in more than a year. < p/> In December 2010, Larry Robertson was stabbed to death in a pedestrian underpass near the housing complex.

Williams’ sister, April, told KTVU her brother had come to her home moments before the shooting to check on her welfare.

“I seen him 5 minutes before this happened,” April told KTVU. “He came to check up on me to make sure I was okay because some stuff was going on near my house.”

Scardina said police believe there may have only been one shooter and were interviewing neighbors for any information they may have.

The sheriff’s department was asking that anyone with information about the slaying call investigators at 473-7265.