On the morning of December 11, 2008, 8-year-old female Lusine Safaryan was tragically shot and killed inside her family’s apartment in Hollywood, California. Lusine, who was of Armenian descent, was found dead on the couch with a single gunshot wound to the head. Her father, 43-year-old Khachik Safaryan, also of Armenian descent, was discovered in another room, similarly shot in the head. The double homicide occurred between 7:30 and 8:00 a.m. at their residence on the 1200 block of Tamarind Avenue. The bodies were discovered later that afternoon by Lusine’s older sister, a 15-year-old girl, who returned home from school and immediately contacted authorities.
Investigators found no signs of forced entry into the apartment, suggesting the victims may have known their assailant. The family’s white 2008 Infiniti was missing from the scene but was later located a few blocks away, also showing no signs of forced entry. Police ruled out murder-suicide early in the investigation and treated the case as a double homicide. The neighborhood, described as quiet and close-knit, was shaken by the violence. Neighbors recalled Lusine as a cheerful child who often played outside and interacted warmly with other children.
Despite extensive interviews with family members, neighbors, and the public, no suspects were identified, and no arrests were made in connection with the killings. The Los Angeles Police Department issued public appeals for information, but the case remained unsolved. Lusine’s mother, Karine Hakobyan, age 38, would also become a victim of homicide less than two years later, in March 2010, further deepening the tragedy surrounding the Safaryan family. As of the latest available reports, the assailant or assailants responsible for the murder of 8-year-old female Lusine Safaryan and her father have not been apprehended.
