Was Ronni Chasen Shooting a Professional Hit?

With funeral coming up Sunday, police have still have no leads, but speculation is rising that Chasen’s death wasn’t random

Did a professional hit man kill Ronni Chasen?

With hard evidence scant, the precision of the shooting of the Hollywood publicist early Tuesday morning has led some to ponder if the events on Whittier Drive were out of a mob movie.

“Recently, numerous media outlets have covered this story by relying on erroneous information, theories or speculation,” BHPD Chief David Snowden said Friday. "This type of media coverage can only jeopardize the integrity of the investigation."  

Possibly, but the media aren't the only ones speculating.

“It looks like a professional job to me,” an L.A. law enforcement official told TheWrap, citing the five gunshots Chasen received to the chest and the lack of any leads. “The shots were very specific, making it easy to ID her, and the shooter disappeared without a trace."

A funeral for Chasen will be held at 11 a.m. Sunday at Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary in Culver City.

Beverly Hills Mayor Jimmy Delshad, as reported by the L.A. Times, says that police are pursuing the theory that an SUV or another bigger vehicle pulled up beside Chasen’s car and shot into her Mercedes. Talking to KABC-TV, the Beverly Hills mayor also said while no bullet casings found, pieces of glass, perhaps from Chasen's car windows, were found at the scene. A spokesperson for the Mayor said Friday afternoon that Delshad’s remarks were mere speculation.

A random gang shooting seems unlikely in the upscale wealthy neighborhood, and the level of violence involved in Chasen’s death goes far beyond the pale of a carjacking. The Beverly Hills Police Department revealed on Wednesday that the passenger window of Chasen’s car — the side that would have faced the sidewalk on Whittier — was shattered. The window was likely broken due to the shooting rather than the car crashing into the post on Whittier.

An investigation of the scene of the shooting by TheWrap revealed that many homes and residences on that stretch of Whittier are behind foliage or back from the street, thereby hampering line of sight for most.

Watch TheWrap Video From the Scene of the Ronni Chasen Shooting

Earlier this week, Beverly Hills police said they had no leads or suspects in the case. The BHPD also is not talking publicly talking about any clues from any possible video footage they may have acquired from businesses or residences in the area. Sgt. Lincoln Hoshino said Friday morning that, “There is no new information available in the case.”

Donations can be made in Chasen's memory to Tower Cancer Research Foundation in Beverly Hills, (310) 205-5768.

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