Actor Frank Grillo’s boxing coach Azuma Bennett was struck by gunfire and killed outside of a marijuana dispensary Aug. 12 in Windsor Hills, Los Angeles.
Clients were reportedly waiting for the Bennett, who was a staple of Fortune Boxing Gym in Los Angeles that day, but were unaware that he had been killed before arriving, Tamara Fortune, the gym’s owner, told NBC Los Angeles.
The trainer was hit at least eight times, according to TMZ. Law enforcement said that Bennett died en route to the hospital and are still searching for those responsible for Bennett’s death, as well as a potential motive, the outlet reported.
Grillo, who portrays Crossbones in Marvel’s “Captain America” franchise, pulled no punches when speaking about Bennett’s murder with NBC Los Angeles.
“I don’t know what’s happened to Los Angeles that a beautiful guy like this gets shot and killed over nothing,” Grillo told the outlet, seemingly frustrated about the lack of response to the city’s rising crime rates.(RELATED: Marvel Star, Husband Convicted Of Sex With 13-Year-Old Girl)
Bennett, originally from Australia, moved to Los Angeles three years ago, the New York Post reported. A GoFundMe page was created by Fortune to raise money for his family and to send his body back to his homeland, make arrangements and take care of his personal belongings.
Homicides during the first half of the year in Los Angeles are at their highest level in a decade and on pace for a 15-year high, according to ABC 7. The surge in crime continues a trend seen in the city for two years, where homicides are up 46.7% from 2019.