On October 12, renowned British photojournalist Paul Lowe was tragically stabbed to death while hiking in the San Gabriel Mountains, and his 19-year-old son, Emir Abadzic Lowe, has been charged with murder. Emir allegedly fled the scene but was apprehended shortly after a car accident a few miles away, as confirmed by witnesses and police reports.

According to authorities from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, when they arrived at Stoddard Canyon Falls, they discovered the 60-year-old Lowe with severe upper body injuries. The county coroner has confirmed that he died from a stab wound to the neck.

Paul Lowe was well-known for his coverage of significant historical events, including the fall of the Berlin Wall and the release of South African civil rights leader Nelson Mandela. His work received widespread acclaim.

Witnesses reported seeing a vehicle speeding away from the crime scene, which was later identified as driven by Emir. His subsequent crash led to his arrest, corroborating the eyewitness accounts.

On October 15, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office filed criminal charges against Emir for the murder of his father. The motives behind this tragic incident remain unclear, and it is still uncertain if Emir will appear in court or be represented by counsel.

Lowe, who previously served as a professor at the University of the Arts London, was a celebrated war photographer. His 2005 publication, “Bosnians,” provided a detailed account of the Bosnian War and its aftermath.

In a 2002 interview with The Guardian, Lowe spoke about the harrowing conditions in Sarajevo amid the conflict, highlighting the dangers children faced escaping gunfire, including sniper attacks.

Santiago Lyon, a former AP vice president and director of photography who worked alongside Lowe in Sarajevo during the early 1990s, described him as “brave and dedicated,” emphasizing how his work brought the realities of war and humanitarian crises to the attention of the world.

Lyon remarked that Lowe’s passing is a profound loss to the field of photojournalism, as he was not only celebrated for his professional achievements but also dedicated to nurturing the next generation of photojournalists. The VII Foundation, an organization he collaborated with to train photographers, expressed deep shock and mourning for his sudden death.