On November 29, 2023, at approximately 2:30 a.m., 52-year-old Shawn Alvarez was fatally shot in the Lincoln Heights area of Los Angeles. Alvarez, who was experiencing homelessness, was found on a sidewalk, having suffered multiple gunshot wounds. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner classified his death as a homicide.
Alvarez's death was part of a tragic series of shootings targeting homeless individuals in Los Angeles over a four-day period.
The first victim, 37-year-old Jose Bolanos, was found dead on November 26 in South Los Angeles. The following day, 62-year-old Mark Diggs was fatally shot near downtown. Alvarez became the third homeless victim in this string of attacks. Additionally, on November 28, 42-year-old Los Angeles County employee Nicholas Simbolon was killed in a follow-home robbery in San Dimas.
Authorities arrested 33-year-old felon Jerrid Joseph Powell in connection with these murders. Powell was apprehended on November 30 after a traffic stop in Beverly Hills, during which a handgun was recovered from his vehicle. Ballistic tests later confirmed that this firearm was used in the killings of the three homeless men. Powell has been charged with four counts of murder, including special circumstance allegations of multiple murders and murder during the commission of a robbery. If convicted, he faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The motive behind these senseless killings remains unclear. Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore described the attacks as "bone-chilling," noting that the victims were approached and shot without warning or provocation. Investigators are delving into Powell's background to uncover any potential reasons for his actions, though no connections between him and the victims have been identified.
The tragic death of Shawn Alvarez underscores the vulnerabilities faced by individuals experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles. City officials and law enforcement agencies have expressed deep concern over these targeted attacks and are working to provide increased protection and resources for the homeless population to prevent such tragedies in the future.
