On the evening of January 26, 2025, Aliakbar Fayazi, an 18-year-old male of Middle Eastern/North African descent, was fatally shot in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The incident occurred around 6:45 p.m. near the intersection of West 23rd Street and Hoover Street, just south of the Santa Monica Freeway. According to reports, Aliakbar had just left a restaurant with his girlfriend and was seated in his vehicle when he was approached and shot multiple times.
Emergency responders pronounced him dead at the scene.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed the cause of death as multiple gunshot wounds and classified the manner of death as homicide. Aliakbar was the only son of Wahid Fayazi, a producer and host known within the local Iranian community.
The suspect in the shooting is described as a Hispanic male, approximately 5 feet 8 inches to 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighing about 170 pounds. He was last seen wearing a black jacket and blue pants. Witnesses reported that he fled the scene in an Audi SUV bearing California license plate 9MRB489. As of now, no arrests have been made, and the motive behind the shooting remains under investigation.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, a fundraiser was organized to support Aliakbar's mother, Arezou Kamandi, with funeral expenses. The campaign highlighted Aliakbar's aspirations of becoming a neurosurgeon and described him as a sweet and intelligent young man.
