Los Angeles County detectives are investigating whether the recent death of former NFL player Kevin Johnson is connected to a string of unsolved killings in a homeless encampment area.
Johnson, a native of Los Angeles who played for the Philadelphia Eagles and Oakland Raiders in the 1990s, was found dead on January 21st at an encampment on East 120th Street in Willowbrook. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office reported that he died from blunt head trauma and stab wounds.
Over the past four months, there have been three other homicides in the same area, all of which remain under investigation by the Homicide Bureau. Detectives are working to determine whether these cases are related, as all four victims were homeless individuals living in encampments in close proximity to each other.
A week after Johnson's death, detectives again responded to the scene after a man was found dead near the flood control channel. The exact cause of his death has not been released.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department released a statement urging anyone with information about the cases to contact the Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500. Johnson's son, Branden, called for swift justice and described his father as more than just an NFL player, saying that he was a beloved member of their community.
The investigation is ongoing, but detectives are working tirelessly to identify the individual or individuals responsible for these crimes. The Homicide Bureau remains committed to pursuing all investigative leads and bringing closure to the families of the victims.
Johnson, a native of Los Angeles who played for the Philadelphia Eagles and Oakland Raiders in the 1990s, was found dead on January 21st at an encampment on East 120th Street in Willowbrook. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office reported that he died from blunt head trauma and stab wounds.
Over the past four months, there have been three other homicides in the same area, all of which remain under investigation by the Homicide Bureau. Detectives are working to determine whether these cases are related, as all four victims were homeless individuals living in encampments in close proximity to each other.
A week after Johnson's death, detectives again responded to the scene after a man was found dead near the flood control channel. The exact cause of his death has not been released.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department released a statement urging anyone with information about the cases to contact the Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500. Johnson's son, Branden, called for swift justice and described his father as more than just an NFL player, saying that he was a beloved member of their community.
The investigation is ongoing, but detectives are working tirelessly to identify the individual or individuals responsible for these crimes. The Homicide Bureau remains committed to pursuing all investigative leads and bringing closure to the families of the victims.
another homeless person bites the dust... it's like they're just collecting dust, you know? 
but seriously, four deaths in one area is way too much. I mean, what are we even doing out here? 
all these people living on the streets and we expect them to be law-abiding citizens? come on! 
it's a mess, no doubt. the cops are doing their thing, but I hope they figure out who did this before some innocent person gets hurt too... fingers crossed 
it's just another heartbreaking story that makes me want to jump outta my seat & demand some serious change 
we gotta do better by our homeless folks, you feel? 4 lives lost in one area already? 
what kind of community are we living in where people can just be walked all over like that? 
I mean, I know the cops are on it & all, but I wish we could see some more systemic change happenin' here. Like, instead of just investigatin' individual cases, what about addressin' the root causes of homelessness in the first place? 
we need to take care of our most vulnerable people, ya know? 
. It's just heartbreaking to think that someone like Kevin Johnson, who was loved by his community, went through such a tragic end. I mean, we're talking about a guy who played in the NFL, but behind the scenes, he was still living on the streets and dealing with homelessness. It's like, what happened to our society? Where did we lose this kind of humanity? 
. I'm all for law enforcement, but it's clear that more needs to be done to address the root causes of homelessness and poverty. We can't just keep treating these cases as isolated incidents; we need to think about the bigger picture here.
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then maybe things would be different. Not saying the deceased NFL player was innocent of anything but lets focus on giving the families closure 
these homeless individuals are already struggling so much, they don't deserve to be victimized like this 
let's keep sending positive vibes to the families of the victims 
. I'm not saying it's connected or anything, but if you ask me, that encampment area is like a war zone over there 
. And what's up with the investigation? It's been four months and still no leads? That's just a bunch of bureaucratic red tape 
. I hope they find out who did this stuff, but till then, it's just gonna be a mess 
This is getting outta hand in LA 
Four deaths in one spot already and they're still finding bodies like that near flood control channels... it's like the city's lost sight on its own citizens 
. We need more than just a hotline to report tips, we need real solutions for these people 
. And Kevin Johnson, who was such an iconic figure for LA sports fans back in the day 
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. It's like their lives don't matter unless there's a high-profile case like this, you know? 
. dont even get me started on the fact that all 4 victims were from different encampments but were killed in similar circumstances... it smells like a pattern here 
. cant wait to see where this investigation takes us 
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. The lack of resources and support for homeless populations in LA County is woefully inadequate, leaving them vulnerable to such unspeakable acts of violence 
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. It's like, what's going on here? 
. Can you imagine being a homeless person living on the streets and having to deal with this kind of violence every day 
. The police need to do more, like, faster 
. I hope they catch whoever did this and bring them to justice 
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