One Year Ago

One year ago today, Zac Champommier agreed to meet with a friend in a Chipotle parking lot to see a movie. That friend peered into cars as he looked for Zac's, and was abruptly stopped and held at gun point by a group of men in the parking lot. Fearing for his life, Zac attempted to drive away, only to find his exit blocked by the men. As one man jumped in front of his moving vehicle, the others unloaded a rain of bullets into Zac's car, ending his 18-year-old life with a single bullet through his armpit.

One year ago today, a group of LAPD officers and other officers organized by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration met in a public parking lot to debrief after serving a search warrant in the area. The plainclothes officers noticed a man peering into vehicles in the lot and came to the assumption that he was casing the vehicles for a break-in. As they pulled out their weapons and ordered the unarmed man to the ground, a white sedan maneuvered through the lot towards the exit. Attempting to stop the suspect's "accomplice", an officer ran in front of the vehicle and, when hit, the other officers felt justified in shooting at the unidentified driver later pronounced dead at the scene.

One year ago today, Carol Champommier said goodbye to her son as he left to spend time with a friend. As hours went by and no word came from Zac, Carol began to worry that something had happened to her son. As morning came and Zac was neither back home nor answering phone calls, Carol began calling Zac's closest friends, praying that her son had simply fallen asleep somewhere and had forgotten to let her know. It wasn't until she called local law enforcement to file a missing person's report the next morning that she was told her only son had been shot and killed.

One year ago today, I sat in my room and, like any college student looking to avoid work, logged into Facebook. "RIP Zac", "I miss you Zac", "We love you Zac" posts filled my news feed. As I continued to click through profile after profile, I came to realize what every post had in common. Every post came from someone who was also a mutual friend of Zac Champommier. "But that can't be", I reasoned. "Zac just graduated from high school 2 weeks ago!". As I called my close friend Ryanne, Zac's absolute best friend, tears rolled down my cheeks as I was taken back to August 4, 2006 when another close friend (in the same high school marching band as myself and Zac) had been killed. Ryanne confirmed what my heart already knew: Zac Champommier, master of the tenor-saxophone, friend to all who knew him, and without a doubt one of the most positive people I knew, had been taken from us by the trigger-happy Los Angeles Police Department.

One year ago today, the community was outraged that something like this could happen. Friends of Zac, his mother, and strangers touched by his story demanded answers from the LAPD, the LA Sheriff's Department, and the DEA.

One year later, there are no answers.
Carol Champommier has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the LAPD, the LA Sheriff's Department, and the DEA. One year of waiting for a parent is not justice. One year of waiting for the hundreds of friends Zac had is not justice. One year of the same officials tasked with protecting and serving the community cowering behind their desks and weapons is not justice. On this one year anniversary, say a prayer for Zac. For Carol. For all of us. If a young man like Zac- a young man with his entire future ahead of him, with friends and strangers infatuated with his smile, with the most loving mother I have met- can have his life ended so quickly, so suddenly, and so tragically, then so can any of us.

So move with a purpose, people.


Rest In Peace Zachary Champommier...You are forever in our thoughts, our prayers, and our hearts.
January 21, 1992 - June 24, 2010