Caltech astrophysicist fatally shot on porch of his rural SoCal home, where he studied the stars [View all]
An accomplished Caltech astrophysicist with more than four decades of research contributions in galactic astronomy and the study of distant planets was fatally shot in a rural area of Antelope Valley on Monday morning. A suspect in the shooting has been charged with murder.
Deputies responded to a 911 call for assault with a deadly weapon in the unincorporated community of Llano at 6:10 a.m. and found a man suffering from a gunshot wound on the front porch of a home, according to the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.
The victim was later identified as Carl Grillmair, 67, according to the L.A. County medical examiner. His death was ruled a homicide caused by a gunshot wound to the torso.
“He was very famous in astronomy and a very renowned scientist,” said astronomer Sergio Fajardo-Acosta, who worked alongside Grillmair at Caltech for 26 years. “His legacy will live on forever.”
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-02-19/caltech-astrophysicist-fatally-shot-on-porch-in-antelope-valley
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