Seven days after he publicly mourned the death of his uncle, Joshua Trujillo, the beloved son of the well-known anti-violence advocate and senior pastor of Faith Center Church in San Fernando, California, Rudy Trujillo, was fatally shot at a party on Saturday.
Police did not publicly identify Joshua Trujillo as the man killed at the party on Saturday, but he was identified as the deceased shooting victim by The San Fernando Valley Sun.
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s homicide investigators stated in a press release on Sunday that deputies from the Santa Clarita Sheriff’s Station responded to the 20800 Block of Centre Pointe Parkway, Santa Clarita, regarding a gunshot victim at about 10:50 p.m. on Saturday.
When they arrived, they found two men suffering from gunshot wounds. Both males were transported to a local hospital, where one of the men was pronounced deceased. The second male is in critical condition. Police stated that they detained a person of interest.
“I can state [that] the deceased party and the injured party were involved in an argument. During the argument, the deceased individual shot the injured party. An uninvolved person shot and killed the deceased,” LASD Lieutenant Chris Oakley told The Christian Post in a statement Tuesday.
“The investigation is ongoing, no arrests have been made, and at the conclusion of the investigation, the Los Angeles County District Attorney will determine what charges, if any, apply.”
The San Fernando Valley Sun noted that it’s been reported that the man in critical condition is the boyfriend of Joshua Trujillo’s ex-wife. It was further stated that the shooting took place outside the George A. Carvalho Sports Complex in Santa Clarita, where a quinceañera was being held. The report said at least 14 shots were fired.
Faith Center Church did not immediately respond to a call for comment, but interim Pastor Mike Martin confirmed Joshua Trujillo’s passing in a statement on Facebook.
“Gone too soon! Josh’s father, who is a pastor, went on a sabbatical, and I was asked to be the interim pastor until his father returned,” Martin said.
“Josh stepped up and was at the church every Sunday morning, ensuring that all of the logistics of conducting a church service were taken care of. And he did this flawlessly. During this time, I got to know Josh in a much different and deeper way. Without fail, after every service, he encouraged me by saying, ‘Great job, Pastor Mike,” Martin recalled.
“And then he would tell me how much he was growing in the Lord as a result of my preaching/teaching. That meant the world to me. Although there is much grieving to be done, one thing is certain. Joshua Trujillo is in the presence of the Lord!”
Even though Joshua Trujillo worked professionally as a real estate agent with John Hart Real Estate, his doting father publicly praised him on Facebook in September 2021 as much more.
“I heard it’s National Son Day. I’m really proud of my son Joshua Trujillo, who is a great person, husband, and a really good father,” Pastor Rudy Trujillo wrote.
“Joshua is involved not only in the community of faith but has a heart to help youth, most recently is part of the process of reimagining youth justice and working with me in Youth Diversion and Development, A County collaborative with LAPD and the District Attorney’s Office,” he explained, noting that his son also had great technical skills and was also a “pretty good DJ.”
“Joshua, keep up the great work,” he added. “The Lord is going to bless your generous heart to bless your family more.”
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