Eric Lynn Thomas, a 28-year-old Black man known to loved ones as "LIL E," was remembered as funny, loving, caring, and selfless. A resident of Pasadena, California, his life was cut short on the evening of May 2, 2022.
At about 8:42 p.m., Pasadena police officers responded to 911 calls and an alert from the city's ShotSpotter gunfire-detection system. In the 1700 block of North Fair Oaks Avenue, they found Eric unresponsive in the common area of an apartment complex.
He had been shot multiple times and was pronounced dead at the scene. It was the first fatal shooting in the city to be detected by the ShotSpotter technology.
Detectives with the Pasadena Police Department’s Robbery/Homicide Unit began an investigation. Several months later, in August 2022, they released a surveillance image of a newer model, white, four-door SUV that was seen fleeing the area after the shooting. The investigation eventually led detectives to identify a suspect they said was connected to a local criminal street gang.
On January 19, 2023, a team of U.S. Marshals and Pasadena police officers arrested Avery Lavon Bennett, a 34-year-old Covina resident, outside his home. At the time of his arrest, Bennett was found with two loaded firearms. He was charged with one felony count of homicide for the death of Eric Thomas, and his bail was set at over $3 million.
Bennett’s trial began in March 2026. The prosecution argued that Bennett and Thomas were part of the same gang and had a conflict, presenting social media messages and circumstantial evidence that placed Bennett's phone and vehicle in the area. The defense maintained that Bennett was visiting family nearby and that the prosecution had not proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
In April 2026, a Los Angeles County jury acquitted Avery Lavon Bennett of the murder charge. The day after the verdict, Bennett pleaded no contest to a separate count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was sentenced to credit for time served and released. As of April 2026, the murder of Eric Lynn Thomas remains unsolved. Anyone with information is asked to contact Pasadena Police detectives at (626) 744-4241.
