COMPTON, Calif. -- The oldest sister of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams was shot to death Sunday in the crime-ridden Los Angeles suburb that the family left years ago, authorities said.

Yetunde Price, a registered nurse who owned a beauty salon, was a personal assistant to her famous half-sisters.

Price, 31, had been with a man in a sport utility vehicle shortly after midnight and "somehow they had become involved in a confrontation with the local residents," said Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy Richard Pena.

Sheriff's deputies surrounded a house in Compton early Sunday, searching for three people believed to be involved in the shooting, but the house turned out to be empty. A man has been arrested, but no charges have been disclosed.

Price was shot in the upper torso. Deputies on patrol heard the gunshots and found Price, who was later pronounced dead at a hospital.

The man with Price was not hurt and drove her to a relative's house in Long Beach, from which he called 911, Pena said. Price was taken to Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, where she died.

Early Monday, authorities identified the man with Price as Rolland Wormley, 28. He was jailed after authorities discovered he was on parole, which they said he violated by being at the scene of the shooting. It wasn't disclosed what he was on parole for.

"As the oldest sibling and daughter, it was Yetunde who provided the stability to our family," the Williams family said in a statement. "She was our nucleus and our rock. She was personal assistant, confidant, and adviser to her sisters and her death leaves a void that can never be filled."

Neighbors reported hearing anywhere from six to 20 gunshots. Pena said an assault rifle was found at the shooting scene.

"There's not one evil thing you could say about this girl. She never hurt any person," said Sheriee Brown, who lives in Compton and is a friend of Price.

"They say on the news that we get used to these shootings," said Brown's husband, David. "But no one gets used to it. Who could get used to living in a war zone?"

Rodolfo Pulido, who lives around the corner, was awakened by the shots but did not go outside.

"Week after week, I hear gunfire. It's common," he said.

Price was one of five sisters who spent their early years in Compton, a crime- and poverty-ridden community where gang fighting has claimed many lives.

She was divorced and had three children, and had moved to Corona, Calif., 40 miles from Compton. She took her mother's maiden name a few years ago after her parents were divorced.

Venus, 23, and Serena, 21, often told about the gunshots they heard as they played tennis on Compton's public courts. When they turned professional as teenagers, they moved with their parents to Florida, as much for the courts and the coaching there as to escape the violence.

Venus and Serena Williams both had been ranked No. 1 in the world and have won a total of 10 Grand Slam singles titles.

Yet nothing -- not stardom nor distance nor the demands of travel -- weakened the bonds they felt toward their sisters. Yetunde, Isha, a lawyer and singer, and Lyndrea, an actress and singer, could often be seen in stadium guest boxes and hotels with Venus and Serena.

All five girls are the daughters of Oracene Williams, who was previously married to the late Yusef A. K. Rasheed. She later married Richard Williams, father of Venus and Serena.

"They don't regard themselves as half-sisters, they regard themselves as sisters," said Serena's publicist, Raymone Bain. "The five girls are each others best friends."

When the family gathered Sunday to grieve over Yetunde's death, they flew to the Los Angeles area and went to Isha's house. Venus came from New York, and Serena from Toronto, where she was filming a guest role in a cable TV series. Serena had stayed nearby Isha recently, recovering from her knee surgery at the condo she kept in Los Angeles.

Most recently, Price was featured in the Sept. 15 edition of People magazine in an article entitled, "My Sibling, the Star." In the article, she said she no longer has to give her famous younger sisters any more life lessons.

"Maybe three or four years ago I'd remind them to stay grounded, but not now. They've both got good heads on their shoulders," she said.

At Wimbledon in July, when Venus was injured during her semifinal and considered quitting, her mother and sisters encouraged her to play on.

Serena and Venus both missed the U.S. Open earlier this month because of injuries. Neither has said when they will play next.

They met in the final at five of the last six Slams, not including this year's U.S. Open. Serena won each of those times, and one or the other won every U.S. Open since 1999 until this year.