British photojournalist Paul Lowe, known for covering conflicts such as the Bosnian War, was fatally stabbed on a hiking trail in California. His 19-year-old son, Emir Lowe, has been charged with murder in connection to his death.
The 60-year-old Lowe was found dead last Saturday in the San Gabriel Mountains. According to records from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office, he had been stabbed in the neck.The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office confirmed that Emir Lowe faces one count of murder and is set to appear in court on Wednesday. He is being held at the Los Angeles County Jail on a $2 million bond.
The incident took place at around 3.28 pm near Stoddard Canyon Falls on Mount Baldy Road. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said that responding officers found a man with trauma to his upper torso. He was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency responders.
A “white male adult” was seen driving away from the scene and was later involved in a solo traffic collision a few miles away. Police detained the man, who was identified as the suspect, as reported by the Guardian.
Lowe was a visiting professor at King’s College London in the Department of War Studies and a professor of photojournalism at the University of the Arts London. In a statement, King’s College London expressed their grief: “Paul’s boundless energy, warmth, creativity, and enthusiasm were contagious and uniquely inspiring. He will be deeply missed.”
Lara Jo Regan, a colleague of Lowe’s and a fellow photojournalist, told KTLA’s Rachel Menitoff that she first met him at the World Press Photo of the Year exhibition 24 years ago. “We had some great, interesting, stimulating, and inspiring conversations about photography,” she recalled. “I just think it’s the effect he had on many people, both students and colleagues. He had a real generosity of spirit.”
Regan said Lowe told her he was in Southern California to manage some family matters. They had planned to meet up, but after several days went by, she hadn’t heard from him. “I went on Facebook, and I was going to DM him to see what was up,” she explained. “Then, the first thing that came up was news of his passing posted on his agency’s website in New York. I was beyond shocked. I’m still kind of shocked.”
After the news of his untimely death, tributes from friends, colleagues and strangers around the world began pouring in. The embassy for Bosnia and Herzegovina in the UK described Lowe as a ‘great artist’, as quoted by the Daily Mail.
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