Pastor Rudy Trujillo’s Son Shot and Killed at Party

Guest Commentary

Audio By Carbonatix

By Amber Ginter, Crosswalk.com

Rudy Trujillo is a faith-based advocate, pastor, and community leader with over 40 years of dedicated service to ministry. According to the InterFaith Advisory Board of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, his Christian faith comes from a difficult upbringing in Pacoima, giving him a deep, firsthand understanding of the struggles many face globally.

From gang intervention to public safety, Trujillo focuses on fostering a community of healing, restoration, and hope, especially for those impacted by adversity, resilience, and need.

After founding a church in 1980 (San Francisco), he later moved to San Fernando ten years later (1990) to serve as the Senior Pastor at Faith Center Church. Today, he’s the founder of The Mission City Project and a pastor at the Faith Center, but these acclaimed positions never could have suspected Trujillo’s advocacy would hit so close to home.

Just seven days after the loss of his uncle, Trujillo now mourns the loss of his son, Joshua Trujillo, who was fatally shot and killed at a party on Sunday around 10:50 p.m just outside the George A. Carvalho Sports Complex in Santa Clarita, where a quinceañera was being held. By the time police arrived at the scene of the 14 shots fired, two men had gunshot wounds and were taken to the local hospital. Trujillo was pronounced dead, and the second male is in critical condition. According to the Christian Post, the person of interest was detained.

“I can state [that] the deceased party and the injured party were involved in an argument. During the argument, the deceased individual shot the injured party. An uninvolved person shot and killed the deceased,” LASD Lieutenant Chris Oakley told The Christian Post in a statement Tuesday.

While the case is still under investigation and no arrests have been made, The San Fernando Valley Sun noted that the second victim has been identified as the boyfriend of Joshua Trujillo’s ex-wife.

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Amber Ginter is a teacher-turned-author who loves Jesus, her husband Ben, and granola. Growing up Amber looked for faith and mental health resources and found none. Today, she offers hope for young Christians struggling with mental illness that goes beyond simply reading your Bible and praying more. Because you can love Jesus and still suffer from anxiety. You can download her top faith and mental health resources for free to help navigate books, podcasts, videos, and influencers from a faith lens perspective. Visit her website at amberginter.com.