Azuma Bennett’s family headed to US after the fitness instructor was shot dead in LA
Azuma Bennett’s family is making the heartbreaking trip to the US to be repatriated with their son after he was shot dead in LA.
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The family of Azuma Bennett are on their way to the United States ahead of a memorial in Los Angeles for the murdered Australian.
It comes as homicide detectives “actively search” for the person suspected of killing the celebrity just weeks before he was due to return to Sydney for a comeback to the boxing ring, News Corp Australia has learned.
While investigators from the LA Sheriff's Department are yet to officially comment on a motive, they’re understood to have communicated privately that they’re looking for the person they believe pulled the trigger.
Mr Bennett, who worked at the LA gym of Australia’s former heavyweight pro boxer Justin Fortune, was gunned down outside a marijuana dispensary in a sketchy part of the city last week.
The 30-year-old had been planning to return to Australia after years in the US training stars including Hollywood actor Frank Grillo, Aussie singer Eddie Benjamin, and UFC fighter Jason ‘Mayhem’ Miller at Fortune Gym, said Tamara Fortune.
“They’re actively searching for somebody … they are really putting in a lot of time and energy into this,” Ms Fortune said.
“The detective did tell me that he had so many phone calls in regards to Azuma that he’d never had this before, so many people had called, multiple, multiple people because he was such a good guy. That’s just who he was, a good guy.”
LA Sheriff’s Sgt. Kerry Bell told News Corp that the investigation “is still ongoing”, and therefore could not release or confirm any details of the case.
A memorial will be held for Mr Bennett at Fortune Gym on Saturday, with Ms Fortune hoping his family and mother, Victoria Milton will arrive in Los Angeles in time for the vigil.
A GoFundMe Ms Fortune established for Mr Bennett’s family has raised about $32,500 USD (AUD $46,000), more than double its initial goal.
Mr Bennett began at the gym as a customer about five to six years ago but went on to become a full-time trainer after striking up a friendship with Mr Fortune, Australia’s former heavyweight contender who fought Lennox Lewis in 1995 and went on to train champions like Jeff Fenech, Kostya Tszyu, Mike Tyson and Manny Pacquiao.
“With the Australian connection, every time he’d walk in the gym, he’s like, ‘G’day’ … G’day mate’, once you knew him once he was like family,” Ms Fortune said.
“That’s why this sucks so bad, part of our family was just taken from us without reason.”
Mr Bennett went on to train major US athletes, UFC fighters and celebrities, including singer Kiana Ledé, who starred in MTV’s Scream.
“Azuma was my best friend. Someone that always loved pushin people to be their best as much as he loved pushin buttons,” she wrote in an Instagram photo tribute.
“He was such a huge presence that the people that knew him could immediately feel the loss of. A huge blank space that will never be filled.”
Kiana posted a video of the last time she saw Mr Bennett in person while training at Fortune Gym, adding that she always wanted him to be proud of her.
Training partners at Fortune Gym that remembered Mr Bennett yesterday included Melbourne’s Jake “The Raging Bull” Carr, former super middleweight champion and son of Commonwealth champion Rodd Carr, and Mr Bennett’s best mate, Aussie Harrison Checkley.
Before he was killed, Mr Bennett was starting to make a comeback to the ring, Ms Fortune said.
“I think he either had an amateur or professional fight back in Australia and I know that he was ready to get back to that, so he was getting himself into fight shape whenever this happened,” Ms Fortune said.
Mr Bennett was reportedly shot eight times in Windsor Hills, a suburb in a rough part of South Central Los Angeles, on Friday morning.
The streets outside the “3854” marijuana dispensary were largely empty yesterday save for a makeshift memorial that remained for Mr Bennett, including bright red boxing gloves to mark his impact on the sport and the local community.
Friend Nicole Richardson left a tribute to Mr Bennett at the memorial, saying he was loved and “damn sure” would not be forgotten.
“Azuma, I can only hope that wherever you are, you are shadow-boxing, getting ready to school one of us with your love for art. Practising your dance moves for your next trip and smiling,” Ms Richardson said.
Friend Mark Geiger added he would always remember Azuma after “so many hours training, discussing ideas or fighting people at the beach”.
“You’re a real dude, it showed in how you treated people. Not just your friends, but everyone you met,” he wrote.
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