Ronni Chasen slaying: Police believe publicist was shot from another vehicle, perhaps an SUV

Detectives investigating the slaying of Hollywood publicist Ronni Chasen have surmised from evidence that she was probably shot from another vehicle, perhaps an SUV, the mayor of Beverly Hills said Thursday night.

Mayor Jimmy Delshad told The Times that, although many questions remain unanswered, police believe Chasen's assailant fired into her passenger-side window from another vehicle and not from the street or a sidewalk.

"Indications are [the shots] could have come from another car, higher up, maybe an SUV," Delshad said.

Chasen was shot to death early Tuesday while driving her Mercedes-Benz near the intersection of Whittier Drive and Sunset Boulevard in Beverly Hills. She was on her way home from a movie premiere after-party.

She is believed to have left the event about midnight, traveling west on Sunset. Friends believe she had planned to head south to her condominium on Wilshire Boulevard near the grounds of the Los Angeles Country Club.

Lt. Tony Lee of the Beverly Hills Police Department said Thursday that officials have not concluded whether Chasen was shot at the intersection or closer to where her car crashed into a light pole near Whittier and Greenway Drive.

Delshad said police found some pieces of glass--possibly from Chasen's car window--near the intersection of Whittier and Sunset, but they found no bullet casings. He added that Beverly Hills police were working on the case 24 hours a day.

He said police have been interviewing witnesses, analyzing computer and phone logs and examining video from surveillance cameras along the route.

"We're working very hard on it," he said.

Several residents dialed 911 at the time of the attack. The first call, from a person who lives near Sunset and Benedict Canyon Drive, reported a gunshot.

Moments later, more 911 calls came in reporting shots heard several blocks to the west, near Whittier and Wilshire. Another resident called 911 to report hearing the car crash into the light pole.

Residents who heard the crash found Chasen slumped over the steering wheel, bleeding. The passenger-side window of her car was shattered. One person who lives next to where Chasen's car came to a stop said she heard several shots, followed moments later by what she believed was the sound of a car crashing.

Police said they have no motive for the attack and no suspects.

RELATED:

Former LAPD Chief Bratton offers scenarios in Ronni Chasen case

Detectives hope 911 calls reporting gunshots will help in Ronni Chasen slaying

--Martha Groves

Photo: Crime scene the morning of the shooting. Credit: L.A. Times

Comments

[Bernie]

Doesn't make sense.

Keep searchin' BHPD.

[Diane Bedford]

I wonder if this was road rage? maybe she cut someone off...this is so mysterious...

[shields norma]

Does anyone think it was just crazy people?
she just cutoff someone, pissed someone off and they just shot her for this, people have shot others for less then this.

[Misanthropy Today]

This is some great non-news. It probably took them all of 5 minutes to see the trajectory of the bullets as coming from a higher vehicle (possibly an SUV!) but this gives no information about who or why.

Next the police will say "We believe it was a man shooter", since 99.9% of shooters are men.

I think police nowadays are good at tazing people and following innocent citizens around looking for a reason to pull them over but not so good at old fashioned police work.

[Robert]

Mayor Delshad sounds like Barney Fife, speculating on an investigation. He needs to ZIP IT! He's not an investigator, and he's not helping. Let the professionals do their work -- they will talk to the public if they need public help, or when they make an arrest.

[Jonah Corling]

They have "shot spotter" systems that can acoustically pinpoint the source of gun shots whenever they happen and notify police. Maybe it's time for Beverly Hills to invest in one?

[LA Observer]

This sounds a lot like that Bentley that was shot up a couple of years ago on the 101.

[robert henning]

I`m glad to hear that the LA Police are working around the clock to find the person who murdered this woman. I hope and pray that they find and execute the Coward. I do however wonder if the same effort would be given if Juanita the Houskeeper were murdered or Leroy who works at the local Car Wash for $7.00 an hour. I already know the answer, Do You?

It is a sad commentary that the Sole thing that makes someone a VIP is Money. Look for instance at these talentless nobodys like Snooky from that TV Show. They would go all out yto find her Killer if she were Murdered. One year ago she wouldn`t have made the Head Line were she Killed, Now God only knows why she has some wierd kind of Fame and Fortune and the Police would go all out for her.

[Promisecues]

It sounds like a gun was used by a marksman/woman riding in an SUV to murder another human being. The motive, and the shooter are unknown, but the end result was to kill somebody.

[paul]

I hope the videos show the murderer. If this was a pro hit, though, it probably won't matter. Pros aren't stupid.

[jack]

It is not certain that this was road rage....there was nobody on the road and shootings do not happen on the streets of Beverly Hills.....

[ustimes]

The BHPD told the Mayor to zip it. I hope this wasn't a gang initiation. My gut level feeling is this was not road rage, but a hired gun or gang related. Don't know which is worse.

[paul]

NY Post reports Ronni felt she was being followed since March 2010. It doesn't sound like Ronni's friends knew her at all and never mentioned this in early reports. This looks like a well-thought out attack. Two theories: First, Randy Quaid may be owed an apology for his "star whacker" theory (throw in 6 casting agents being threatened, too). Second, maybe Ronni ran afoul of someone during the MGM takeover scandal of the 90's. Long memory? Revenge?