A senior nonprofit govt behind downtown Santa Monica’s enterprise and placemaking efforts was discovered useless alongside his spouse in what authorities are investigating as a murder-suicide inside their Venice residence, in response to regulation enforcement sources.
Jeremy Ferguson, who served as Director of Operations for Downtown Santa Monica, Inc., was found Tuesday morning with a gunshot wound.
His spouse, Mandy Zelinka, was additionally discovered useless on the scene with a gunshot wound.
Los Angeles Police Division officers responded to the house round 11 a.m. on Tuesday after a name reporting a suicide.
After they arrived, they discovered each people deceased from gunshot accidents.
Ferguson had earlier despatched a suicide observe by e mail to a pal, together with directions on how you can entry the property.
That pal later arrived on the dwelling and contacted police, in response to NBC4.
Investigators are treating the case as a murder-suicide and consider Ferguson shot his spouse earlier than turning the gun on himself.
A doable motive has not been disclosed.
Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. issued an announcement mourning his demise.
“Our hearts are damaged as we course of the information of the passing of Jeremy Ferguson,” stated DTSM CEO Debbie Lee. “Jeremy was a cherished member of our workforce and a real champion for Downtown Santa Monica. His ardour for placemaking and the dedication he delivered to his work every day made a long-lasting influence. He will probably be deeply missed.”
Ferguson introduced greater than 25 years of expertise in public service and transportation to his position.
Earlier in his profession, he was elected mayor of Milwaukie, Oregon, a Portland-area suburb, serving from 2009 till his resignation in February 2015.
Obtain The California Publish App, comply with us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters
California Publish Information: Fb, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, WhatsApp, LinkedIn
California Publish Sports activities Fb, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X
California Publish Opinion
California Publish Newsletters: Enroll right here!
California Publish App: Obtain right here!
Residence supply: Enroll right here!
Web page Six Hollywood: Enroll right here!
At Downtown Santa Monica, Ferguson oversaw a number of high-profile initiatives, together with a redesign of the Ice at Santa Monica seasonal rink, which elevated capability by 25% and generated practically $1.1 million in gross income throughout its 2023–24 Netflix-sponsored season, in response to the Santa Monica Every day Press.
In August 2024, he helped launch Roll at Santa Monica, the town’s first outside seasonal curler rink.
He additionally served on the board of the Santa Monica Historical past Museum.
His demise comes amid ongoing issues about circumstances in downtown Santa Monica.
A neighborhood product designer not too long ago mapped storefront occupancy alongside the Third Road Promenade, discovering that 28.5% of storefronts are vacant.
The outside procuring district, as soon as a serious draw for guests close to the seashore, has confronted declining foot site visitors in recent times amid shifts towards on-line retail and rising homelessness within the metropolis.
Current enterprise closures have added to the world’s challenges, together with the introduced shutdown of The Misfit Bar and Restaurant after 15 years in operation contained in the historic Clock Tower constructing.
Individually, The Britannia pub stated it would shut sooner or later and get replaced by a Taco Bell Cantina, drawing backlash from some residents.
Santa Monica has additionally continued to grapple with public security issues.
A Santa Monica police officer was shot and injured in an “ambush” assault on the Third Road Promenade final yr, and the town stays beneath a Native Emergency on Homelessness coming into its fourth yr.
If you happen to or somebody you already know is in disaster, name or textual content 988 to succeed in the Suicide and Disaster Lifeline or chat dwell at 988lifeline.org. You can too go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/sources for extra assist.
