Marvel star Frank Grillo slammed Los Angeles’ rising crime following the killing of his private boxing coach final week.
Grillo — recognized for his portrayal of the Marvel character Crossbones in “Avengers” and “Captain America” movies — mourned the lack of coach Azuma Bennett, who was shot useless exterior a authorized marijuana dispensary in Windsor Hills Friday morning.
“He made all people be ok with coaching,” Grillo told KNBC. “I don’t know what’s occurred to Los Angeles that a gorgeous man like this will get shot and killed over nothing.”



Bennett, 30, was shot at the least eight instances and died on the best way to an space hospital, police stated. Investigators haven’t launched a attainable motive in his capturing or recognized any suspects.
The coach’s homicide comes as homicides in Los Angeles reached the best stage in 15 years, according to ABC7. In the primary half of the yr, the town noticed 181 murders — a 34% improve from the typical variety of homicides throughout the identical time interval between 2015 and 2019.
Bennett, who labored out of Fortune Gym in Los Angeles, had quite a few movie star shoppers corresponding to Grillo, UFC fighter Jason “Mayhem” Miller and singers Kiana Ledé and Eddie Benjamin.
“Azuma was our household. One of one of the best of one of the best. We are all so damaged,” Fortune Gym stated in a press release.
Bennett, from Australia, moved to the US three years in the past. A GoFundMe web page was created to lift cash to ship Bennett’s physique again to his house nation. It has raised greater than $35,000 as of early Friday.
“Azuma was one among a form. An excellent athlete, fighter, instructor coach, and pal/mate to so many,” health club proprietor Tamara Fortune wrote within the GoFundMe page description. “We misplaced probably the greatest ones on the market.”
“He didn’t deserve this,” Fortune added. “He was type to all that he met and all the time engaged everybody within the health club along with his constructive vitality and interesting character.”