Jeremy Ferguson and his wife Mandy Zelinka were found dead inside their Venice home on Tuesday, April 21, according to reports
Credit: City of Milwaukie/Facebook
NEED TO KNOW
- Jeremy Ferguson, a former mayor and prominent Santa Monica leader, was found dead with his wife Mandy Zelinka in an apparent murder-suicide in Los Angeles, according to reports
- The April 21 incident is being investigated as a possible murder-suicide, an LAPD spokesperson told the Los Angeles Times
- Ferguson served as the mayor of Milwaukie, Ore., from 2009 to 2015, before going on to work for the nonprofit Downtown Santa Monica
A prominent local leader and his wife are dead after an apparent murder-suicide in Los Angeles.
Jeremy Ferguson was found dead inside his Venice home alongside his wife, Mandy Zelinka, on Tuesday, April 21, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The Los Angeles Police Department responded to a shooting incident in the 600 block of Superba Avenue on Tuesday morning, a spokesperson told the outlet.
Law enforcement sources familiar with the incident told the publication and NBC4 Los Angeles that the couple was found with fatal gunshot wounds.
Credit: Getty
The incident is being investigated as a possible murder-suicide, the LAPD spokesperson told the Los Angeles Times.
According to the Santa Monica Daily Press, citing officials, Ferguson left a suicide note.
Sources told NBC4 that Ferguson emailed the note to a friend, and the friend arrived at the scene and called authorities.
Ferguson previously served as the mayor of Milwaukie, Ore., from 2009 to 2015, according to local media outlet KPTV. He also worked with TriMet, the Portland region's transit agency, for 17 years.
Prior to his death, Ferguson was a director of operations for the nonprofit organization Downtown Santa Monica Inc., per the L.A. Times.
Debbie Lee, chief executive of the organization, told the outlet that Ferguson will be “deeply missed.”
“Jeremy was a cherished member of our team and a true champion for Downtown Santa Monica,” Lee said in a statement. “His passion for placemaking and the dedication he brought to his work each day made a lasting impact."
Credit: Getty
Per the Santa Monica Daily Press, Ferguson oversaw a redesign of Santa Monica's annual holiday ice-skating rink and helped launch the city's first outdoor seasonal roller-skating rink. He also served on the board of the Santa Monica History Museum.
PEOPLE has reached out to the LAPD, the L.A. County Medical Examiner and Downtown Santa Monica for comment.
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The incident came just days after the murder-suicide involving former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax and his estranged wife, Cerina Fairfax, on April 16.
Fairfax County Police said Fairfax shot and killed his wife, before turning the gun on himself.
Authorities also shared that the couple's two teen children, son Cameron and daughter Carys, were at the family's Annandale, Va., home at the time of the incident, PEOPLE previously reported.
Cameron, a high school basketball player, made the call to 911. It is unclear whether Justin had taken his own life by the time his son called police.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health challenges, emotional distress, substance use problems, or just needs to talk, call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org 24/7.
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