Adolfo Gramajo

Introduction

Adolfo Gramajo, a 35-year-old Los Angeles father, was booked on a murder charge after his two young sons — 4-year-old Jimmy Gramajo Bonilla and 11-year-old Osmani Gramajo Bonilla — were shot dead in broad daylight near the intersection of Venice Boulevard and South Catalina Street on the afternoon of October 11, 2026, shortly after he took them to a McDonald’s during a custody visit. The Los Angeles Police Department told The California Post that Gramajo — identified as the shooter by his own parents — shot the two boys and then turned the gun on himself; he survived the self-inflicted wound, remains hospitalized, and has been booked on a murder charge with bail set at $4 million. No motive has been announced and the investigation is ongoing.

Background Information

Little public background is known about Gramajo, whose family told Southern California stations they are Guatemalan and are struggling to understand the killings. Law enforcement sources told NBC4 Investigates that the afternoon began as a custody visit: he assured the children’s mother that his parents would be present, then left his parents’ house with the boys and took them to a McDonald’s, where the outing turned fatal after they left the restaurant. Family members told FOX 11 the couple had experienced custody disputes in the past but believed those issues had been worked out, and an aunt described the children’s mother as “a good mother.” Gramajo had reportedly picked the boys up from the Koreatown home where they lived with their mother, telling her he was taking them for a burger nearby.

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation

Charged; not adjudicated. Gramajo has been booked on a murder charge and Los Angeles police identified him as the shooter, but he has not been tried and no allegation against him has been tested in court. He has made no public statement; he remains hospitalized, and investigators say no motive has been established.

The shooting was reported just before 1 p.m. on Sunday, October 11, 2026, in the area of Venice Boulevard and South Catalina Street in Pico-Union. According to the LAPD, Gramajo shot and killed his two sons and then turned the gun on himself; all three were taken to a hospital, where Jimmy and Osmani died of their injuries while their father survived. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner ruled 4-year-old Jimmy’s death a “close-range gunshot of the head” and recorded a “gunshot wound of the head” for his older brother. The California Post reported that Gramajo has been booked on a murder charge, that his bail has been set at $4 million, and that he attempted to kill himself after the shooting; he is reportedly still hospitalized and his condition has not been made clear. Law enforcement sources’ account of the custody visit — the assurance to the mother, the grandparents’ house, the McDonald’s run — was laid out by NBC4 Investigates. There is no known motive for the shooting, and the investigation remains open.

Public Reaction and Consequences

Flowers, candles and other tributes accumulated near the intersection of South Catalina Street and Venice Boulevard within a day of the shooting, where family members gathered to mourn. The boys’ aunt, Maria Lopez, told NBC4: “They were so sweet, really good kids,” and in remarks to Telemundo 52 she said the family does not know why he did it and demanded accountability: “We want justice… we want him to pay for what he did” (translated from Spanish). A family friend, Carlos Aguilar, said: “They never did anything wrong to anyone. They were always happy, never wanted to hurt anyone. They were innocent.” The family posted a joint statement on Facebook asking for help with funeral costs: “On October 11, 2026, our beloved Jimmy and Osmani left this world, leaving an immense void in our hearts.” Family members who spoke to FOX 11 off camera said they could only describe what happened as a father who may have snapped.

Current Status

As of October 13, 2026, Gramajo has been booked on a murder charge and is being held on $4 million bail, according to the LAPD’s statement to The California Post, while he remains hospitalized from the self-inflicted gunshot wound. No arraignment date has been announced, no motive has been made public, and the LAPD’s Juvenile Division continues to investigate; detectives asked anyone with information to come forward. Every element of the case against him remains an unadjudicated allegation, and the presumption of innocence applies.

Impact on Their Career/Life

Gramajo now faces a murder prosecution that will begin in earnest once he leaves the hospital, with bail set so high — $4 million — that pretrial release is unlikely in any ordinary scenario, and a conviction would carry a prison term; no trial date exists yet. The more immediate aftermath falls on the family he left behind: a mother mourning both of her sons, relatives publicly fundraising for the boys’ funerals, and a Guatemalan-American community in Pico-Union building memorials at the corner where the brothers died.

Sources

NY Post / The California Post, “Father executes his two young sons in broad daylight on LA street — family speaks out,” Oct 13, 2026 — source
@nypost, trigger post announcing the story, Oct 13, 2026 — source
NBC Los Angeles, “Loved ones of brothers shot allegedly by dad express heartbreak,” Oct 12, 2026 — source
FOX 11 Los Angeles, “Father shoots, kills his 2 sons in attempted murder-suicide in Pico-Union,” Oct 11, 2026 — source
Telemundo 52, “Pico-Union madre llora la muerte de sus dos hijos baleados,” Oct 12, 2026 — source