Security guard beaten to death outside of nightclub in Hollywood identified as father of two

Police in Los Angeles are seeking up to 11 suspects after a nightclub bouncer was beaten to death in Hollywood in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The man, identified as 32-year-old Daniel Sandifer by The Los Angeles Times, was a security guard at the Dragonfly Hollywood nightclub when he was set upon by a crowd.

Sandifer was found lying unresponsive in the street outside the club near Santa Monica Boulevard and Wilcox Avenue at around 2am, according to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).

He was rushed to the hospital but died from his injuries.

“We know that oftentimes people will record these types of incidents on their cellphone. We would encourage them to share that with us as it can help bring a sense of justice to this person’s family,” said Detective Samuel Marullo in an appeal for witnesses to come forward.

So far, no arrests have been made and no motive has been offered to explain the incident.

Sandifer was a father of two and the primary caretaker for his grandmother, according to his cousin. Friends of Sandifer gathered at the site of the attack on Sunday evening to place candles and pay their final respects.

Key Points

• Up to 11 suspects sought after security guard beaten to death outside Hollywood nightclub

• Victim was 32-year-old father-of-two

• Violent altercation erupted outside popular hip hop club

• Investigators appeal for witnesses and phone footage

• Dragonfly announces temporary closure

10:31 , Joe Sommerlad

Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of the ongoing investigation into the death of a security guard fatally beaten outside of the Dragonfly nightclub in Hollywood, Los Angeles, in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Up to 11 suspects sought after security guard beaten to death outside popular Hollywood nightclub

10:45 , Joe Sommerlad

Police in Los Angeles are seeking up to 11 suspects after a nightclub bouncer was beaten to death in Hollywood in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The 32-year-old security guard was found lying unresponsive in the street outside the Dragonfly club near Santa Monica Boulevard and Wilcox Avenue at around 2am, according to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).

Investigators said the man, who has not been named, was set upon by a crowd while working at the club. He died from his injuries in hospital.

Here’s Rachel Sharp with the very latest.

Security guard beaten to death outside popular Hollywood nightclub Dragonfly

Victim was 32-year-old father-of-two

11:15 , Joe Sommerlad

Details on this tragic episode are extremely scant just now but ABC7 spoke to a number of people who attended last night’s candelit vigil in memory of the 32-year-old man, whose identity has not yet been divulged by the LAPD.

“He didn't deserve this,” a friend of the deceased commented.

“He was a dad of two girls. He didn’t deserve none of this. Good dude.”

So far, no arrests have been made and no motive has been offered to explain the incident.

Violent altercation erupted outside popular hip hop club

11:45 , Joe Sommerlad

The altercation that erupted in the early hours of Sunday morning quickly turned violent, with witnesses reporting seeing the group beating and stomping on the victim, according to ABC7.

Officers arrived on the scene to find the victim lying in the street unresponsive and performed life-saving measures on him.

He was rushed to hospital but was pronounced dead from his injuries.

Now, a manhunt is under way to find up to 11 suspects responsible.

It is not clear whether the group of people knew the victim prior to the violent attack.

It is also unclear if the group had frequented the club that night.

The Dragonfly describes itself as the “most popular Hip Hop night club scene LA has to offer” with several famous faces including Tyga, Megan Thee Stallion, Wiz Khalifa, Migos and 2 Chainz spotted there in the past.

Dragonfly announces temporary closure

12:15 , Joe Sommerlad

Writing on Instagram, the club has announced its short-term closure to allow staff time to “process and mourn the loss of our colleague”.

The Dragonfly was hosting its weekly Signature Saturdays night, with Detroit rapper Tee Grizzley headlining, after which the assault took place on the street outside, seemingly the result of a verbal disagreement that escalated into a full-blown physical attack on the security worker.

Investigators appeal for witnesses and phone footage

12:45 , Joe Sommerlad

The LAPD is asking anyone who witnessed or recorded the incident to come forward with information.

“We know that oftentimes people will record these types of incidents on their cellphone,” said Detective Samuel Marullo.

“We would encourage them to share that with us as it can help bring a sense of justice to this person’s family.”

Anyone with information can contact LAPD’s West Bureau Homicide at (213)382-9470.

Speaking to local media on Sunday, Detective Marullo added: “We’re exploring and canvasing the neighbourhood to determine which cameras are operable, in order to view them.

“But one thing we know was that there was a lot of people present – a lot of people on the street – many of whom left the scene prior to police arriving.”

Read the LAPD’s statement

13:30 , Joe Sommerlad

The department’s press release outlining what took place at the Dragonfly describes the suspects being sought as “a group of seven to eleven male Blacks in their 20s” and says that, after the attack, they subsequently “fled on foot westbound on Santa Monica Boulevard to southbound Hudson Avenue”.

It also reveals that its officers were initially responding to a radio call reporting an “Assault with a Deadly Weapon”.

We do not yet know the precise nature of the dead man’s injuries.

Recap: Security guard beaten to death outside of Hollywood nightclub

14:15 , Joe Sommerlad

If you’re just joining us, here’s Rachel Sharp’s report on precisely what happened outside the club on Sunday morning.

Security guard beaten to death outside popular Hollywood nightclub Dragonfly

What is the Dragonfly club?

15:00 , Joe Sommerlad

The venue at 6510 Santa Monica Boulevard, near Wilcox Avenue, is one of LA’s most popular hip hop night spots.

Tyga, Megan Thee Stallion, Wiz Khalifa, Migos and 2 Chainz have all been known to hang out there.

On Saturday, Detroit rapper Tee Grizzley was headlining its regular Signature Saturdays club night in the aftermath of which the deadly violence played out.

The club has since announced in a brief message on Instagram that it is temporarily closing its doors to allow staff time to grieve for their fallen colleague.

IndyTV: Security guard beaten to death outside Hollywood hotspot

15:45 , Joe Sommerlad

Here’s a quick recap from the scene, courtesy of IndyTV.

Emergency responders were seen attempting to resucitate the victim, found lying in the street early on Sunday morning after being attacked, and he was subsequently rushed to a local hospital but died of his injuries.

Updates scarce as police investigation continues

16:30 , Joe Sommerlad

Details are hard to come by with the investigation still in its early days, the LAPD telling The Independent this afternoon that there are no further updates at this time beyond the statement already released.

What we do know at this point is that the victim is the 32-year-old Dragonfly bouncer, reportedly a father-of-two, who was brutally beaten to death around 2am in the early hours of Sunday morning by a group of seven to 11 men who subsequently fled the scene, leaving him unresponsive on Santa Monica Boulevard.

The victim died in hospital shortly after and police are now appealing for witnesses and possible phone footage that might cast light on the attack.

Recap: Dragonfly issues heartfelt Instagram message

17:15 , Joe Sommerlad

Writing on Instagram, the club has announced its short-term closure to allow staff time to “process and mourn the loss of our colleague”.

Where is Dragonfly Hollywood nightclub?

17:40 , Ariana Baio

Recap: The LAPD issues statement on security guard’s killing

18:00 , Joe Sommerlad

The department’s press release outlining what took place at the Dragonfly describes the suspects being sought as “a group of seven to eleven male Blacks in their 20s” and says that, after the attack, they subsequently “fled on foot westbound on Santa Monica Boulevard to southbound Hudson Avenue”.

It also reveals that its officers were initially responding to a radio call reporting an “Assault with a Deadly Weapon”.

We still do not yet know the precise nature of the dead man’s injuries.

What happened at the Dragonfly Hollywood nightclub?

18:30 , Ariana Baio

At approximately 2am on Sunday, a 32-year-old man was beaten to death by a large group of people outside of the Dragonfly Hollywood nightclub in Hollywood, California.

The man, who was a security guard that worked at the club was found unresponsive when law enforcement arrived.

According to witnesses, the security guard got into a verbal argument with a group of seven to 11 people when it quickly turned violent. Witnesses reported seeing the group beating and stomping on the victim.

He was rushed to hospital but was pronounced dead from his injuries.

Now, a manhunt is under way to find up to 11 suspects responsible.

It is not clear whether the group of people knew the victim prior to the violent attack.

Victim who was beaten by a group of men reportedly identified

19:07 , Ariana Baio

The man who was brutally beaten outside of a Hollywood nightclub on Sunday has been identified as 32-year-old Daniel Sandifer, according to The Los Angeles Times.

Sandifer worked as a security guard at the Dragonfly Hollywood nightclub. He was approached by a group of seven to 11 men who beat him to death after getting into a confrontation, according to reports.

Police in Los Angeles have not released any official information confirming the identity of Sandifer, The LA Times said a cousin of Sandifer confirmed his identity.

The 32-year-old had two children and was his grandmother’s primary caretaker.

Cousin of victim remembers him as a ‘hardworking man’

19:30 , Ariana Baio

The 32-year-old nightclub security guard who was beaten to death on Sunday has been identified as 32-year-old Daniel Sandifer – according to The Los Angeles Times.

Sandifer, who was the father of two and the primary caretaker of his grandmother, was confirmed to be the victim by his cousin Evette Sandifer.

Ms Sandifer told The LA Times that her cousin was a “hardworking man” who dedicated his time to taking care of his grandmother who is in her 70s and in hospice.

“I’m sure the club provided some footage. That’s on them, but everybody has cellphones nowadays,” Ms Sandifer said.“We need to get some suspects and hold them accountable.”

Catch up with the story

20:15 , Ariana Baio

ICYMI: A 32-year-old man was working at the Hollywood hotspot at the time when he was confronted by a large group of people and beaten to death, police said

Rachel Sharp reports:

Security guard beaten to death outside popular Hollywood nightclub Dragonfly

Unclear why the confrontation between security and group of men started

21:00 , Ariana Baio

Police in Los Angeles have not released any more information regarding the 32-year-old man who was brutally beaten outside of a nightclub in downtown Hollywood on Sunday.

Speaking with KTLA-TV, authorities said they did not have a motive to the group of seven to 11 men who beat the security guard to death.

It is also unclear if the initial confrontation began inside or outside the venue.

“For unknown reasons, a group of seven to eleven male Blacks in their 20s, confronted the victim and when the victim lost his footing and fell to the street, the suspects advanced and began kicking and stomping the victim.  The suspects fled on foot westbound on Santa Monica Boulevard to southbound Hudson Avenue,” police said in a press release.

Friends of victim create memorial outside nightclub

21:30 , Ariana Baio

Read the LAPD’s statement

22:00 , Ariana Baio

The department’s press release outlining what took place at the Dragonfly describes the suspects being sought as “a group of seven to eleven male Blacks in their 20s” and says that, after the attack, they subsequently “fled on foot westbound on Santa Monica Boulevard to southbound Hudson Avenue”.

It also reveals that its officers were initially responding to a radio call reporting an “Assault with a Deadly Weapon”.

We do not yet know the precise nature of the dead man’s injuries.

Dragonfly announces temporary closure

22:30 , Ariana Baio

Writing on Instagram, the Dragonfly Hollywood nightclub has announced its short-term closure to allow staff time to “process and mourn the loss of our colleague”.

“As we begin to process and mourn the loss of our colleague, Dragonfly will be closed,” the club wrote on Instagram Stories.

“Our hearts are with his family at this time.”

The Dragonfly was hosting its weekly Signature Saturdays night, with Detroit rapper Tee Grizzley headlining, after which the assault took place on the street outside, seemingly the result of a verbal disagreement that escalated into a full-blown physical attack on the security worker.

Watch the report: Security guard beaten to death outside Hollywood hotspot

23:00 , Ariana Baio

Where is the Dragonfly Hollywood nightclub?

00:00 , Ariana Baio