An alleged gang member pleaded no contest Monday to first-degree murder charges in the killing of a 21-year-old USC student and jazz drummer during an attempted robbery.
Prosecutors accuse Ivan Hernandez, 29, of fatally shooting Victor McElhaney while walking into a robbery with a group of friends at a liquor store near the USC campus.
McElhaney, the son of former Oakland City Councilwoman Lynette McElhaney, was a student at USC’s Thornton School of Music. He was part of the USC jazz studies program with an interest in the relationship between music and social and political movements.
Prosecutors say they’re seeking a sentence of 35 years to life in prison for Hernandez.
“This no contest plea ensures that the individual responsible for the senseless and tragic murder of Victor McElhaney will face the consequence of his actions,” District Attorney Nathan Hochman said. “Victor was a promising young 21-year old university student, a talented drummer and active member of USC’s Center for Black Cultural and Student Affairs, whose life was cut short by an act of pure violence.”
After the killing, Lynette McElhaney said her son “believed that music could heal the world of violence and sickness and addiction.”
In 2020, the USC Thornton School of Music launched an endowed scholarship in honor of McElhaney.
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