A prominent nonprofit leader dedicated to reducing crime and promoting economic growth in Santa Monica was found dead in his home this week along with his wife.
Details of the Incident
Jeremy Ferguson, who was the director of operations at Downtown Santa Monica Inc., and his 49-year-old wife Mandy Zelinka both had fatal gunshot wounds, the Los Angeles Police Department said. Investigators are treating the shooting at the home in Venice as a murder suicide, according to the LAPD.
The LAPD responded to a shooting incident reported in the 600 block of Superba Avenue at 10:50am on Tuesday, according to the LA Times. Authorities are still investigating what happened, but police say Ferguson emailed a suicide note to a friend that contained instructions on how to get into the home, NBC Los Angeles reported. That friend then went to the home, stumbled upon what happened, and called the police.
Reactions from Colleagues and Friends
Debbie Lee, the chief executive of Downtown Santa Monica, said in a statement on Wednesday that employees are heartbroken over the death of Ferguson. 'Jeremy was a cherished member of our team and a true champion for Downtown Santa Monica,' she said. 'His passion for placemaking and the dedication he brought to his work each day made a lasting impact. He will be deeply missed.'
Jowanda Dziesinski, who runs a pedicab tour business in Santa Monica, knew both Ferguson and Zelinka, telling the California Post that the couple helped foster art, culture and business in the area after moving there about three years ago. 'I’m in total shock. It just doesn’t line up for me. He was just full of future projects,' Dziesinski said. 'I feel shocked and am upset on a personal level. And I also feel disbelief about the scenario that’s being presented. It doesn’t make sense.'
Background of the Couple
Downtown Santa Monica is a nonprofit that works with the city to create economic stability and put on community events in the downtown district. It is funded through property assessments, the business license tax, city contracts and revenue from events. The couple was well known and respected in the Santa Monica community.
Ferguson, who had 25 years of public sector and transit experience, redesigned Santa Monica's annual holiday ice-skating rink and also helped start the city's first outdoor roller-skating rink, according to the Santa Monica Daily Press. Before joining the nonprofit, he served as mayor of Milwaukie, Oregon - a Portland suburb - from 2009 until his resignation in February 2015. He also spent 17 years working at TriMet, Portland's public transportation agency. He started out as a bus driver and rose to a customer information manager.
Zelinka, while the couple lived in Portland, was known as a hairstylist and entrepreneur. She also co-founded a salon in the Pearl District and was named one of the city's top hairstylists in 2016, according to KOIN 6.
