Brit photographer Paul Lowe, 61, ‘stabbed to death by son, 19, on hiking trail before teen crashed car trying to flee’
A BRITISH photographer was allegedly stabbed to death by his 19-year-old son on a hiking trail in California.
Paul Lowe, a professor at the University of the Arts London, was found dead in the San Gabriel Mountains on Saturday.
Police say the suspect was seen fleeing the scene in a car, which he then crashed just a few miles away.
Lowe’s 19-year-old son Emir Lowe was detained and arrested on suspicion of murder, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Dept records show.
Renowned photojournalist Lowe died from a stab wound to the neck, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner.
Emergency services were called to an area near Stoddard Canyon Falls shortly before 3.30pm on Saturday “to an assault with a deadly weapon”.
Lowe was found was stab wounds and pronounced dead at the scene, police say.
It is understood Lowe – who split his time between London and Bosnian capital Sarajevo – was visiting Los Angeles on family matters.
With a career spanning decades, Lowe’s photographed major historical events including the fall of the Berlin Wall and Nelson Mandela’s release.
His powerful images also documented the famine crises in Africa and the destruction of the Chechen city of Grozny.
Some of his most evocative photographs were taken during the siege of Sarajevo in 1992.
Lowe, who studied at Cambridge University, has been hailed as a “true gentleman and scholar” in emotional tributes shared on social media.
Friend and colleague Lara Jo Regan wrote: “I’m devastated to hear of the sudden death of my colleague Paul Lowe while he was visiting Los Angeles from the UK.
“We were due to grab a drink and catch up when I heard the awful news and I’m struggling to process the loss of this kind, exuberant soul I was so looking forward to seeing.
“We met at the World Press ceremony in 2001 where his haunting photo of the conflict in Yugoslavia was among those being honored, one of many of his great historical images that spanned major world events.”
The embassy for Bosnia and Herzegovina in the UK described Lowe as a “great artist” in a message on Facebook.
It said: “We were deeply saddened to hear the news of the sudden death of our dear friend Paul Lowe.
“Paul was a true friend of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a wonderful human being, a great artist and professional, loved and respected by all who knew him.
“The memory and the important work and legacy of Paul Lowe will continue for future generations.”
The VII Foundation – founded by independent photojournalists in 2001 – shared a photo taken by his wife Amra on Instagram.
The caption reads: “It is with deep sorrow that we share the news of the passing of our dear friend and colleague Paul Lowe, whose brilliant life was cut short in Los Angeles, California on Saturday.
“Paul was a courageous and beloved comrade, and a deeply devoted father and husband.
“The loss is shocking and overwhelming, and our hearts go out to his wife and family.”
Emir Lowe is due to appear in a West Covina courtroom today.