Son of Oakland councilor slain in botched robbery

March 11 (UPI) -- The son of an Oakland council member was shot and killed during an alleged botched robbery in Los Angeles.

Victor McElhaney, the 21-year-old son of Oakland City Councilor Lynette Gibson-McElhaney, was fatally shot after midnight Sunday at a liquor store about a mile and a half from the University of Southern California where he studied music, the East Bay Times reported.

Los Angeles Police officer Mike Lopez said three or four men in their 20s approached McElhaney before one of them shot him, the Los Angeles Times reported.

McElhaney was transferred in critical condition to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

No arrests have yet been reported.

Gibson-McElhaney announced the death of her son in a statement, asking for thoughts and prayers.

"It is with the utmost sadness that I share with you the tragic news that my son, Victor McElhaney, was slain last night in a senseless act of violence," Gibson-McElhaney said.

In a statement, USC Thorton School of Music Dean Robert Cutietta confirmed McElhaney' death while encouraging those in need of grieving services to not hesitate to speak with someone at their crisis hotline.

"Victor is originally from Oakland, California, and transferred to USC in the fall of 2017," Cutietta said. "He believed in the power of music to touch lives, to heal, and to bring hope. He enjoyed mentoring young musicians and had a long-standing commitment to community service."

He said McElhaney's death "will affect all of the faculty and students who knew him."

This is the second time for such a tragedy to strike the councilwoman.

In 2015, Torian Hughes, a 17-year-old male whom Gibson-McElhaney raised and viewed as a grandson, was also killed in an attempted robbery, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

"I miss my baby," Gibson-McElhaney said. "Please keep me, my family, and all of my son's friends in your thoughts and prayers."