Sassounian , hailing from a family of Lebanese Armenian emigres , was identified by witnesses as one of the two gunmen . During the trial , the prosecutors indicated that Sassounian " was motivated to kill Arikan by vengeance for the Armenian Genocide committed by the Turkish Ottomans of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians between 1915 and 1923 . " The jury determined that Sassounian , an Armenian immigrant formerly of Pasadena , California , shot Arikan to death , on January 28 , 1982 at 9:40 am , and particularly that he singled out the victim because of the victim 's nationality . Sassounian was sentenced to life in prison ; because the jury determined that the killing targeted Arikan based on his nationality , Sassounian was given no chance of parole
Armenian Genocide
Armenian Genocide
Harry Sassounian