Joe McMahon, a former “Deadliest Catch” associate producer, was shot and killed on the street outside his Pasadena home on Friday in a murder in which no motive has yet been identified.
Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies responded to a call after 2 a.m. on Friday that
reported possible gunshots fired, according to KABC. When they arrived on the scene, they found McMahon, 25, lying on the street just one driveway away from his home and suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene of the crime.
A suspect, 24-year-old Brandon Rafiepour, was found dead inside his vehicle in West Los Angeles around 4 p.m. on Friday from what authorities say was a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to KABC. Rafiepour’s possible motive for allegedly shooting and killing McMahon has yet to be determined, and the investigation is ongoing.
Authorities have not yet determined whether McMahon and Rafiepour knew each other, but they do not believe that drugs were involved in the shooting or that McMahon was
affiliated with any gangs, according to Variety.
McMahon’s grandfather is Bob Flick,
a former CBS News reporter, according to CBS Los Angeles, and McMahon had worked as an associate producer on “Deadliest Catch” in 2013 for nine episodes.
“We are heartsick about this tragedy — our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and to all that knew and worked with him,” said Discovery, the network that produces “Deadliest Catch,” in a statement, according to Variety.
“Deadliest Catch,” which has been shown on the Discovery Channel for 11 seasons from 2005 to 2015, portrays and examines the lives and work of crew members for Alaskan king crab, snow crab, and bairdi crab fishing ventures throughout the Bering Sea. The show’s title refers to the crabbing industry’s reputation as one of the world’s most deadly professions with a high risk of injury and death aboard the vessels.
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