Civil rights and community leaders are urging the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to post a reward for information in the shooting death of Jackie Avant, the philanthropist and wife of music executive Clarence Avant.
“This cowardly act cannot be unpunished,” said Michael Lawson, CEO of the Los Angeles Urban League, at a news conference in the Leimert Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, as reported by City News Service. “We must find who did this and we must take action.”
Continued Lawson, “This was not just a robbery. This was not just a random killing. This was a shot to the hearts of all of us.”
Avant, whose daughter Nicole Avant is married to Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, was shot and killed just before 2:30 a.m. yesterday by an intruder or intruders at her Trousdale Estates home near Beverly Hills. Police have declined to speculate on whether robbery was a motive in the apparent break-in.
At a press briefing yesterday, Beverly Hills Police Chief Mark Stainbrook said, “I don’t think that it’s a random attack, but I can’t speculate on that right now.”
Police are expected to brief the press on updates later this afternoon.
At today’s event in Leimert Park, Robert Sausedo, CEO of the nonprofit Community Build organization, issued a stark warning to the perpetrators. “For those of you involved in this, understand one thing: the community is coming for you. We are going to do whatever we can across Los Angeles to find justice in this situation. We are coming for you.'”
