Frank Grillo, best known for his work on the Marvel movies and The Purge, has opened up about the rise in crime in Los Angeles after his boxing trainer was recently shot.
The shooting
Azuma Bennett, 30, was shot at least eight times outside a Windsor Hill marijuana dispensary.
Police say Bennett died en route to a nearby hospital and investigators have no idea what the shooting was or who was behind it.
Bennett had coached several top names in his career.
In addition to Grillo, Azuma Bennett has coached UFC fighter Jason “Mayhem” Miller and singers Kiana Ledé and Eddie Benjamin.
Azuma Bennett
Born in Australia, Bennett moved to the United States three years ago.
Bennett worked at Fortune Gym in Los Angeles, training with celebrities.
The gym released a statement after his death which reads:
“Azuma was our family. One of the best of the best. We are all so broken.”
After his death, Tamara Fortune, owner of Fortune Gym, created a GoFundMe page to raise funds to return Bennett’s body to Australia.
“Azuma was one of a kind,” Fortune wrote on the GoFundMe page description.
“An outstanding athlete, fighter, teacher trainer, and friend/mate to so many. We lost one of the best ones out there.”
“He did not deserve this. He was kind to all that he met and always engaged everyone in the gym with his positive energy and engaging personality.”
Earlier on Friday, the page raised more than $35,000.
Grillo vents online
Frank Grillo spoke to the KNBC news agency and criticized the rising crime rate in Los Angeles.
“He made everybody feel good about training,” Grillo said.
“I don’t know what’s happened to Los Angeles that a beautiful guy like this gets shot and killed over nothing.”
On Friday, Grillo shared several posts about Bennet’s death.
“We in LA need to wake up to what has become a common occurrence,” one post wrote.
Another said: “Maybe can force the hand of the powers that be to get off their a****** and fix this ****.”
Crime rate in Los Angeles
Bennett’s murder adds to the homicide tally in the City of Angels, which has reached its highest level in 15 years, according to ABC7.
In the first half of 2022, 181 homicides were committed in Los Angeles, a 34% increase over the average number of homicides during the same period between 2015 and 2019.
In April, the number of shots increased by 69% compared to 2020, while violent crimes rose to 7.2% compared to the previous year.
The Los Angeles Times also indicated that thefts increased by 18.5% compared to 2021, while car flight increased by 40% compared to 2020.
References:
Marvel star Frank Grillo slams Los Angeles crime after boxing trainer shot dead
