Eric Mark Magee, 48

May 1, 2009, 11:49 p.m.

Eric Magee, a 48-year-old black man, died from a gunshot wound and a deep head laceration on Friday, May 1, according to the Los Angeles County coroner's office.

The incident took place in the 8000 block of Hooper Avenue in Florence.

-- Anthony Pesce

Share a memory or thought about Eric Mark Magee

Before you post, here are some answers to frequently asked questions:

Remember, all posts are approved by a Times staffer. Profanity and personal attacks will not be approved.

35 reader comments

Wow can’t believe that you’ve been gone this long already. God is still good to me and the family. I just read some of the previous post and I just prayed that your family has found Jesus and found the peace that they are looking for concerning your death. Especially during the lies about my nephew who was only age 4 at the time of your death, that’s crazy! We know that God knows all things and is in control of all things and it is my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who has keep me and protected me and provided for me hallelujah!. Dad McCready passed away will be a year this month, yeah its really hard. I do not Harbor any animosity against the people who lied on me and my family. See I trust Jesus and I know that if God be for me who can be against me. The battle is not mine it’s the Lords. I pray that everyone so willing to believe such a grievous lie and to go around spreading those lies that they confess with their mouth and believe in their heart that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for their sins. I still hold up the blood stained banner of the Lord today. Rest well Emoney it was a pleasure knowing you. To God be the glory! I’m still a gangsta fa Christ

— Tan May 2, 2021 at 3:36 p.m.

Just let me say this and close this chapter of my life, you can either continue to grasp at straws because of the corrupt minds that you have that would lead you to believe that everyone else thinks like you do while you go on chasing lies because of your own guilt of how you treated Eric while he lived unlike me I gave Eric his flowers while he was alive so there is no guilt here at all. It is my prayer that all of you evil people spreading lives about Eric's death that you find peace with God and that your life is worth living while you are here. I do not care what any of you think because if you knew me you would know better in the first place, if you really knew that Eric and I were best friends and you really sound stupid to me. I helped Eric in every way possible, when he overdosed on drugs guess who found him and saved his life, when he was locked up in jail how man of you sent him packages every quarter or contributed to the effort, when he was homeless and sleeping in his van how many of you gave him a roof over his head even when we lived two different lifestyles, when he got sick guess who was the one sitting at his bedside again that would be me and my family. No of you so called family or friends did anything to help or support Eric. All you vultures ever did was supported him in his addiction by enticing him to get high so that you all could get a free high and then take advantage of him by taking his money and using him including his son's mother she was the worst one of the bunch when it came to using Eric. So go right ahead if this makes you feel better about yourselves to try to tear my character down remember this if God be for me who can me against me, you not fighting against me but you're fighting against God and we already know who won this battle. If I hold my peace the Lord will fight my battles....the book on this is closed as far as I am concerned there is absolutely nothing ANY of you can say about me that I care about or anyone else that know me and knows that I love Jesus, how about you? Go clean yourselves up ad get saved Jesus loves you and I forgive you all. God bless, Eric is truly at peace from all that tormented him in life including family and friends who he felt did not love him....from his own mouth so you deal with that. I'm good!

— Tan March 17, 2014 at 8:32 a.m.

This is to all of the ignorant evil people who have something stupid crazy and evil to say about me, God bless you. You all are so caught up in your own guilt about how you all dogged Eric that you can't see the forest for the trees. As far as me locking him out idiots Eric had the keys to the house, next.....

None of you did nothing for Eric when he was here, when he was in the hospital where were you? when he was in jail, where were you? when he needed to go to dialysis, where were you? when he needed a roof, where were you? when he was sick, where were you. when he cried because he felt his family didn't love him, where were you? it was me who encouraged him to keep going. When he lay dying in the street where were any of you, none of you even came to identify his body. I do not owe any of you messy ignorant people an explanation and I frankly don't care what you say, because all are just messy. I live in peace because I gave Eric his flowers on this side of heaven what about you? and the Lord is on my side. why don't you try Jesus. Hope you find the answer you're looking for and step correct or don't step at all. That right there....NO WEAPON FORMED AGAINST ME SHALL PROSPER AND EVIL AND LYING TONGUE THAT RISES AGAINST ME SHALL BE CONDEMNED.

— Tan March 24, 2013 at 11:31 p.m.

Well Eric here I am again thinking about you and still missing you. It has taken me some time to get over your death and I still have not complete recovered from what happened to you, it was so senseless, but God knows and sees all. It's almost time for your bday again and your favorite holiday, Thanksgiving (smile). God has been good to me and the girls and has continued to look out and make ways for us. I speak about you often and just thank God for the time we had with you. I have also forgiven the youngman who took your life for no reason. I had to in order to go on and I know that is what you would want for me to do, forgive. Whoever he is and wherever he is he has to live with himself for what he did everyday of his life and I know that is torture. Kisses-----

— Tan Oct. 27, 2011 at 11:19 p.m.

Citizenjohn or whomever you are, if you have read my previous comments you would know that I was very close to Eric and I loved Eric and still grieve for him very much, he was my very best friend in this world. Only God knows why he was attacked, I do not, but I do know that it is God's will to call His children home, Eric is not suffering anymore, we are. The person that took Eric's life has to live with themself everyday, every second, every minute, every hour knowing they shed innocent blood, blood is on their hands just as the blood of Jesus was on the hands of those who killed Him. As to why the person did it one thing I can say is ignorance and no regard for innocent life, but only God knows and them, I really wished I knew why. All I can tell you is that the culprit was out looking for trouble and bumped into Eric who became the victim. The person may have gotten by, but has not gotten away because almighty God knows who they are and what they did. I came to this page to pay more respects to Eric, a life gone too soon whose life will be remembered as long as I have breath inmy body. God bless

— Tan July 20, 2010 at 1:54 a.m.

This is for everyone who had soemthing bad to say about me after Eric's death, look into your hearts and ask yorself, WHY? Why am I blaming this woman who did nothing but care for Eric, love Eric, see about Eric, take care of Eric, fight for Eric, support Eric when even I was not there for Eric. Why am I doubting God and his power over life and death? You may want to place blame by pointing fingers, but can you really just ask yourself for me especially to those who really knew how good I was to Eric and put up with everything concerning Eric because of my love for him, ask yourself WHY? or How? can I be so cruel to someone who did so much for Eric. Then finally ask yourself what would, or what did it profit Tan to hurt Eric? Just because! Come I now no one is that evil to think I am that cold blooded. Did any of you think that I lost also, the love of my life, my house, my clothes, my furniture,, I was homeless, have anyone considered that or even cared, you didn't have to because God cared and saw us through. Maybe in my past years ago, you could have believed that or thought that, but not even then, when I love someone, I love them and there is nothing in the world that I would not do for them. So stop holding your little grudges, lying on me, hating on me because of something that only God controls, and that is life and death. Just like God knows my heart, he knows what is in yours. I am still hearing mess and that is what it is mess, and while speaking about mess just remember who you are messing with because I am a child of the Most High God and the battle is not mine, it's the Lord. Be blessed and if this does not describe you than I was not talking about you, but those of you know who you are. You reap what you sow and every lie you have told on me, ever backbiting spirit, every contrary spirit, every spirit of confusion, every spirit of discord has been bound by the blood of Jesus. Every evil trick, every evil assignment has been cancelled, I declare by the power of the Holy Spirit living inside of me that "No weapon formed against me shall prosper" it has formed from the mouths of liars but it will not and shall not hurt me, in Jesus name. My last words to you are, make peace with God before you get left behind, I have already forgiven you.

— Tan June 9, 2010 at 8:44 a.m.

Dear Lord my prayer is that you continue to comfort our hearts concerning the death of Eric. I never knew it would be so hard to let go. It seems that it was only yesterday that he left this world to enter into yours. I do not know how to let go of this grief that is so evident in my life, could it be because I was never really given the opportunity to say goodbye to him? or could it be that I never wanted to say goddbye? It just happened and was forced upon us. Could it be possibly that people are being so cruel and pointing fingers at me, which was so stupid and evil to even imagine me of all people doing anything to hurt or damage a part of my soul, and that is what losing Eric feels like, a part of my soul is missing over 5 years together. I know that you know God what happened and why it happened even if no one else really understands, I trust you. To all the evildoers and liars and haters who have tried to come up against me, why? because I belong to you, I cared for Eric, I loved Eric and for that I am and will not ever be ashamed. Lord I do not concern myself with those who disagree, they do not matter to me anymore, I give them to you Lord and pray for their lost souls. "If God be for me, who can be against me?" Maybe they want to point fingers because of the guilt they have within themselves of how they treated Eric when he was alive. When he left this world he knew I was there with him til death did we part. I love you so much Eric and I will always have a special reserved place in my heart for you. The suffering is over, the hurt is over, the sickness is over, the issues are over, the sadness is over, the problems are over now rest baby, rest.

— Tan June 9, 2010 at 8:29 a.m.

The very depths of my soul miss you Eric, I cannot seem to get over missing you my best friend. There is an empty void in my life that seems will never be filled without you here in my life. I stand at your grave site looking at your name written in stone and my heart breaks each time. We had so many plans for the future that were wiped away in an instant by a fool who had no regard for the value of your life or the lives he destroyed by taking yours, may God have mercy on his soul as I pray for God to please help me to forgive this youngman who broke our hearts when he stole your life so unexpectdly. Each day is a struggle with the thought of not seeing you again, but I have to hold on to the promises of God that says He will repay for every evil deed done against the woman of God. I love you Eric Mark Magee rest my love in the arms of Christ.

— Tan June 1, 2010 at 10:32 a.m.

May 1, 2010 marked the year anniversary of your death and I still seem so shocked and amazed at how one night of evil can change someone's life forever. As I sat at your grave yesterday and looked down at your name on the headstone a feeling of deep loss and grief filled my heart as though it had just happen. I cried and asked the Lord to help me to forgive the youngster who took you away from us and broke my heart. Still today I say a silent prayer for your family who has grasped at straws and pointed fingers at the wrong person, me. I do not believe no one but God, you and I truly knew how much I loved you and how truly lost in my life I am without you. So many lies have been told, so many untrue stories have been told, but I know God as my redeemer and the battle is not mine's it's the Lord's. I try to get through a day without sadness in my heart for you but it is impossible because I miss you sooooo much and I love the time we had together, the laughter, the joy seems to have dimmed a bit because of your leaving me. One thing I am sure of it this, God is in charge and whatever becomes of the person who stole your life he may have gotten by, but he will not get away. God is my vindicator.

— Tan May 2, 2010 at 5:37 p.m.

As I sit and read the short write up about Eric in the newspaper as though his life counted for nothing, I want to make this perfectly clear that Eric was a hero, he gave his life to save ours and I will forever be grateful to him. Many things happen in life that we have absolutely no control over and God calling Eric home was one of them. I know Eric had no more fight left in him. He fought so hard all of his life to be accepted and love unconditionally. Well he found that love and that love will always be. To the parents, siblings, all of Eric's children and the rest of Eric's family my deepest heartfelt sympathy to you all and my prayer is that you get the closure you are or may be looking for. There is no blame in the events that night that I can place on anyone, not even the one who took my love's life away because I believe that God is in charge. God knows all and only God can judge. I challenge eveyone who loved Eric to allow God to do his job and not place blame, feel guilt, animosity, bitterness and point fingers because us no one but he and God knew the things that truly happened that night. Being there still has not allowed me to understand why it happened and being a woman of God I have come up against persecution from those who do not know and can only asume, but today I stand here a stronger woman because of the 5 years I shared with Eric, I do not regret them and I am not ashamed of the love we shared. I may never truly understand why it happened nor do I care what others think, God is my witness and God is my Savior. If you really knew how much I love Jesus and loved Eric there would not be any questions or doubts. If you want to know anything about me, Just ask God.

— Tan March 22, 2010 at 5:14 p.m.

Eric an angel in this life and the life after. Through many rough trials and snares, issues and illnesses God has called His angel home to suffer no more. Although the timing was all wrong for those you left behind, God knew your suffering and so did I. You faced many health challenges and a broken heart but hurt no more my angel, you have earned your wings. I know you are smiling down at me and the girls telling us to carry on, but there are many days that life is so hard without you. I sit at your grave and read your name on the tombstone time after time and still cannot believe that you are gone forever from this life. But I thank God that you have to suffer no more baby, no more hurts, no more tears, no more struggles, no more sickness, no troubles, no more problems, rest my angel in the bosom of Jesus Christ and I'll see you there when God calls me home. Who would have imagined that life would be so hard without you, some days I want to be wherever you are. Many challenges came up against us after you left us and it made me really wish that you were still here to protect us as you always did. You shielded us from many dangers even in death and we love you for it very much. My heart is empty where you once filled it but I know you are at peace and God is my strength. You no longer have to prove yourself to anyone and neither do I. I know you loved me and the girls and you know that we loved you and that is all that matters. Rest my angel and see you at the crossroads.

— Tan March 20, 2010 at 9:54 p.m.