Crime

Jacqueline Avant's family believes she was awake at home when an intruder shot and killed her, as Clarence was nearby in the couple's bedroom ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to the situation tell us Clarence was asleep during the break-in last week at their Trousdale Estates home, but his wife was already up just after 2 AM -- as she typically is -- in another room.

We're told she and the suspect unexpectedly came face-to-face ... the family believes they startled each other and that's when he opened fire.

Our sources tell us security was patrolling the front of the house and the suspect appears to have entered from the side yard.

We're told a guard heard a gunshot from inside, raced over and then the suspect fired at him too ... before fleeing the scene.

As we reported ... cops took a man named Aariel Maynor into custody about an hour after the crime, and say he's the guy responsible for killing Jacqueline. They allege he was attempting yet another burglary in the Hollywood Hills, where he apparently shot himself in the foot.

The police say he's the sole perpetrator in the Avant killing, and they also say he used an AR-15 style weapon.

Maynor has since been charged with murder, attempted murder, felony with a firearm as well as 2 counts of residential burglary with a person present ... all in connection to the Avant shooting. We're told he's scheduled to have surgery on his foot Wednesday, so he won't be arraigned until after that.

Paul "PK" Kemsley, husband of 'RHOBH's Dorit, is dealing with the law again -- this time on the wrong side -- he was busted for DUI, just weeks after burglars invaded their home ... TMZ has learned.

According to the California Highway Patrol ... officers stopped Kemsley in the early hours of Nov 23, after they saw his grey Bentley weaving in traffic on L.A.'s 101 freeway.

PK, who was driving alone, was arrested and the officers say he was cooperative during the stop. We're told he agreed to submit to a breathalyzer test once they got him back to the station.

The last month has been a rough one for Dorit and PK -- in late October, while Paul was out of town, 3 masked men broke into their home. Dorit was home and came face-to-face with the suspects.

The men made off with more than $100k worth of their stuff, including jewelry and expensive purses.

Dorit's called the home invasion a terrifying incident ... during which she begged the suspects not to kill her.

Getting arrested is never a good thing, but PK's timing is particularly awful ... all things considered. We're told he was cited for DUI, and later released on his own recognizance.

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the lead armorer on the set of "Rust" has one weapons specialist and Hollywood veteran on her side -- it's her dad, who is backing his daughter's training and claiming she was sabotaged.

Thell Reed, whose career in movies spans several decades says Hannah was raised around guns, and learned gun safety from an early age. Reed says his daughter complained she had to carry both armorer and prop duties on the movie, and it was because she was doing prop duties that she was unable to be inside the church set when Halyna Hutchins was killed.

Thell told "Good Morning America" Tuesday he believes if Hannah was inside the church during the fatal scene, she would've checked the gun's chamber one more time and discovered the live round, potentially saving Hutchins' life.

What's more, Thell echoes the same message Hannah's attorneys have previously claimed ... believing Hannah was somehow sabotaged on set with the live ammo. Though, he doesn't really get into how or why that might've happened.

Of course, it was just last week when Alec Baldwin claimed he never pulled the trigger on the revolver that killed Hutchins. Alec claims he cocked the hammer back and when he released it, the gun went off.

Jussie Smollett just took the stand in his own defense, talking about his career and his sexual encounters with one of the men he says is responsible for attacking him.

Smollett was called as a witness for the defense Monday, and opened up about his family, the loss of his dad and finding success on "Empire." Jussie claimed to have made $25K-$35K per episode on the first season of the FOX show.

Jussie also got into how he met Abel, saying the two met at a gay club one night and went to a Chicago bathhouse where they did drugs, including cocaine and marijuana. During another visit to the bathhouse, Jussie says they made out and masturbated together.

We had Fox News correspondent Matt Finn on TMZ Live who was inside the courtroom when Jussie took the stand, and gave us a better idea of the actor's mood.

This is the second week of the trial, last week saw testimony from the Osundairo brothers, who Jussie says attacked him. Of course, the Osundairo brothers have maintained Jussie was in on the whole thing, and staged the attack with them for publicity.

Last week, Ola Osundairo fought back against previous claims Jussie had made calling him homophobic. He presented the court with a photo of himself dressed as a Trojan warrior and handing out condoms at a gay pride parade to show he was friendly with the gay community.

In describing the planning of the attack, the brothers testified Smollett originally wanted them to punch him, put a noose around his neck and pour gasoline on him. However, the gasoline was changed to bleach because the brothers felt gasoline could be too dangerous.

Lil Wayne allegedly pulled an assault rifle on one of his own bodyguards during a dispute at his home, and now police are looking into the incident.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... one of the rapper's guards told cops he and Wayne got into a fight at Weezy's Hidden Hills, CA home, and cops say they were told the altercation escalated to physical violence and a brandished firearm.

We're told the guard claims Wayne told him to get outta the house after the initial dispute, but the guard went to the bathroom first and he claims that's when Wayne dramatically escalated things.

We've spoken with a source close to Wayne who strongly denies the incident even happened ... and tell us Wayne doesn't even have a gun.

That's not however, what the guard told cops ... our sources say the guard claimed Lil Wayne pulled out an AR-15 ... and that's when the guard booked it out of the house to the gated community's guard shack, where he called police.

We're told cops went to Weezy's place to get his side of the story, but he was already gone. The guard told police the fight started with Wayne accusing him of taking photos and leaking them to the media.

Other law enforcement sources involved in the case tell TMZ ... cops have issues with the guard's story, and they say he did not have any marks on his body or injuries from the alleged physical confrontation.

We're told the guard also does not want to press charges against Wayne -- and while police have doubts about some of the allegations, they will nevertheless investigate.

The brother of 'Bachelor' Nation standout Ivan Hall -- who also made an appearance on Tayshia Adams' season of "The Bachelorette" -- has been charged with murder.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Gabriel Hall was arrested in October for the murder of Carlos Veliz Jr. in Abilene, Texas. Cops say Hall and Veliz were involved in some sort of verbal argument around 1:30 AM on August 31 ... and it ended with Gabriel shooting Veliz in the head, killing him.

Cops say they connected Hall to the crime with the help of surveillance footage in the area that linked a car he was renting to the scene. They also say they found a spent shell casing in the vehicle as well as evidence of gunshot residue on Hall's hands and clothing.

Ivan finished third as a contestant on Tayshia's season, and his relationship with Gabriel was a plot point on the show. During one episode, Gabriel surprised both Tayshia and Ivan when he joined them on the hometown date episode.

Ivan had previously shared with Tayshia that he helps raise Gabriel's 6-year-old daughter because Gabriel was regularly in trouble with the law.

Hall has been charged with murder, possession of a firearm by a felon, possession of methamphetamines and a slew of other counts.

Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott were put on ice by W Magazine -- they were supposed to appear on the cover but the mag pulled the plug after Astroworld -- but the cover photo has apparently leaked.

This video is now making the rounds ... it's actually just a video of the alleged cover photo, and you can see why W felt it was the wrong time wrong place. It shows a pregnant Kylie and Travis with Stormi in a sweet pose. Travis appears to be listening to their unborn child's heartbeat. We're told Travis, Kylie and W made the decision amicably to not run the cover.

Sources close to the two tell us they're still very much together as a couple. This after rumors swirled that Kylie split with Travis following the fallout.

The cover surely wouldn't sit well the families of the 10 people who died during the Astroworld fiasco and the hundreds who were injured, and that would explain why W would want to 86 the cover photo.

A W insider told Page Six, "W editors have cleared any planned coverage of Travis and Kylie from their website, but the magazine was already printed, and now they are trying to stop the delivery trucks," adding, "In light of what happened at Astroworld, the interview and cover lines seem inappropriate, to say the least."

It's clear many of the families are angry at Travis ... the family of Ezra Blount, the 9-year-old who died at the festival, rejected Travis' offer to cover funeral expenses, and they're not alone.

TMZ has spoken to attorneys repping the families of 14-year-old John Hilgert and 27-year-old Danish Baig -- both of whom perished during the event. In each of their cases ... the families have opted to snub TS, with one family suggesting it's a slap in the face.

Attorney Michael Lyons -- who's representing Baig's family in a civil lawsuit against Travis and others -- tells us ... "We received a written offer from Travis Scott's attorney Dan Petrocelli indicating that he would pay $7,500 in funeral burial costs and my clients are rejecting that."

Meagan Good wants to become a gun owner ... and while she says she didn't always feel that way, the recent rise of home invasions in Los Angeles changed her mind.

Meagan explained her change of heart in tonight's interview with Charlamagne Tha God on his Comedy Central show "Tha God's Honest Truth" ... saying she would feel more comfortable with a gun after seeing home invasions on the rise in Hollywood.

The actress says she used to think she didn't need a gun at home because there wouldn't be time to grab the weapon if a situation arose ... but now she says she wants to be able to at least have the option.

While Meagan says she doesn't want to shoot or kill any potential home invaders ... she says she is willing to defend herself with a gun.

Meagan's fears are real.

TMZ broke the story ... Clarence Avant's wife, Jackie, was shot and killed inside the couple's Beverly Hills home Wednesday morning after at least one suspect made it inside during a home invasion robbery.

These cases are part of an alarming trend ... in the days before Halloween, Dorit Kemsley had 3 men (shown above) storm into her bedroom to threaten her life before fleeing with six-figures worth of valuables.

It's evening happening outside of homes ... Terrence J told cops last month he was pulling into his driveway when another car pulled up and the men inside ordered him out of his car, firing shots and giving chase when he refused their commands and drove off.

Bottom line for Meagan ... she's embracing the 2nd Amendment.

Alec Baldwin's claim he's not responsible for Halyna Hutchins' death is not echoed by the woman leading the "Rust" shooting investigation -- instead, she says Baldwin, and several others, could still be charged for their roles in the tragedy.

During his sit-down with George Stephanopoulos, Baldwin said he didn't feel guilt over what went down. As he put it, "Someone is responsible for what happened and I can't say who that is, but I know it's not me."

Well, Santa Fe County District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies isn't ready to clear his name, criminally, just yet. She tells TMZ ... "Everyone involved in the handling and use of firearms on the set had a duty to behave in a manner such that the safety of others was protected, and it appears that certain actions and inactions contributed to this outcome."

Her Office, along with the Sheriff's Dept., hasn't completed their probe yet ... and she's making it clear no decisions have been made about exactly who could be charged. She says, "Once I have had the opportunity to review the complete investigation, certain individuals may be criminally culpable for his/her actions and/or inactions on the set of Rust."

And, there's this ... Baldwin's explanation for how he fired the fatal shot isn't holding water with weapons expert Steve Wolf, who says the "no trigger" theory IS possible -- but there were several other mistakes made on the set.

Steve's been working with munitions and props for TV and film for decades, so he was particularly interested in Baldwin's claim that the replica antique revolver he was holding fired without him pulling the trigger.

Steve was on Friday's "TMZ Live" when he held up a similar handgun and demonstrated exactly what Baldwin described. He pulled back the hammer on the weapon, but unlike Alec claimed ... Steve says it's just not possible for the hammer to strike and fire a bullet without the trigger getting engaged. Not normally, anyway.

He admitted there are 2 possible exceptions -- first, there could have been a mechanical flaw ... and the other possibility has to do with how the weapon was manufactured.

The Colt .45 Baldwin was using is a replica of an 1873 revolver, and it could have been made without a safety feature that is standard on such weapons now, but wasn't back in the 19th century.

Oxford High football player Tate Myre -- who died heroically attempting to stop the tragic school shooting -- will be remembered when #2 Michigan takes the field in the Big Ten Championship this weekend ... with the team wearing a jersey patch in his honor.

Michigan made the announcement on Thursday ... saying, "Our uniforms will feature a special logo during Saturday's Big Ten Championship Game."

Myre's initials and jersey number will be featured on the patch ... as well as a heart for each of the four victims of the tragedy.

"The shape is of Oxford's 'Block O', meant to honor all victims, survivors, and community members," the team added.

"I was told that everybody in that school was running one way, and Tate was running the other way," Myre's football and wrestling coach Ross Wingert told the Detroit Free Press.

"I know Tate chose to do what he thought was right and he made the ultimate sacrifice."

The 16-year-old had interest in playing at the next level -- just days before the tragedy, Myre was at the University of Toledo football game as a potential recruit.

There's currently a petition to rename the Oxford football stadium in his name, which has reached over 202,000 signatures.

"We are proud to represent that state of Michigan and all of its communities," the team said.

Oxford H.S. is an hour north of UM. The Wolverines will face #15 Iowa in Indianapolis on Saturday for the Big Ten title.

Young Dolph will be forever remembered in the Memphis neighborhood where he grew up ... because the city is naming a street after him.

The City of Memphis just announced plans to change a street name to something in his honor, and the unveiling is set for Dec. 15 at an intersection near the Memphis Depot Industrial Park.

The effort is being led by city councilman JB Smiley and we're told he wanted to wait until getting the green light from the family before honoring Dolph with the gesture.

Young Dolph's family says the street name will serve as a reminder to folks in the Castalia Heights community of someone who embodies hard work and perseverance.

The family sums it up like this ... "He sent the message that someone who went to the same schools as them, and walked the same streets that they do, was able to not only create a successful legacy for himself, but also prioritized family and community."

As we reported ... Young Dolph was gunned down last month while he was inside a Memphis cookie shop.

UFC fighter Geoff Neal was arrested on Thanksgiving after cops say he was drinking and driving with a firearm ... TMZ Sports has confirmed.

According to police records, Neal -- who's slated to fight at UFC 269 on Dec. 11 in Las Vegas -- was taken into custody at 3:47 AM on Nov. 25.

Details surrounding the stop are unclear -- we're working on it -- but records show Neal was booked on charges of driving while intoxicated and unlawfully carrying a weapon.

The records show the 31-year-old was eventually released from jail at 8:08 PM on Thanksgiving night.

Neal is set to scrap with Santiago Ponzinibbio, and, according to the UFC, the fight is still on despite the arrest.

"UFC is aware of the recent situation involving Geoff Neal," UFC officials said in a statement. "The organization has been in communication with him and is in the process of gathering more details. Neal's bout at UFC 269 on December 11th remains as scheduled."

Neal, meanwhile, has denied the allegations against him ... with his attorney telling ESPN this week that he believes bloodwork results will show the UFC fighter was not illegally drinking and driving.

"If it turns out he was not legally intoxicated -- which we expect the blood test will show -- there won't be a gun charge, either," said Brandon Barnett, who claims Neal legally had a licensed gun in his vehicle at the time of the arrest.

"I think it's somewhat premature to report on this at this point," Barnett added. "Doing what I do for a living, there's a lot of occasions where you see an arrest and then based on the evidence that comes back there's never even a case file."

Billy Dee Williams thinks America is in one of its darkest periods ever ... referencing the latest act of violence against his dear friends.

We got Billy Dee Thursday in WeHo and asked about the murder this week of Jacqueline Avant, wife of music legend Clarence Avant.

Billy Dee is clearly upset, saying, "There's a dark energy that's permeating our lives right now.  I call it Lucifer."

The legendary actor seems to think this is a tipping point, wondering what's going on in America with all the violence and insanity?"

Billy Dee is fatalistic about his own safety in a city -- Los Angeles -- that is becoming treacherous on so many levels.

Jussie Smollett's claim one of the Osundairo bros is homophobic -- and that motivated him to pull off the alleged attack -- is getting shot down in court by the brother himself, who brought Pride pics as evidence.

Ola Osundairo -- one of the prosecution's star witnesses, along with his brother Abel -- testified Thursday in Chicago, saying he respects the gay community and had worked as a bouncer in a gay club called Boystown.

He stopped short of dropping the old "I have gay friends" trope but did say he'd been knee-deep in Pride celebrations. The jury was shown a 2015 photo of one such time -- Ola said he was "handing out condoms and flexing" while dressed as a Trojan warrior.

Get it? Condoms? Trojan? Anyway, there are no cameras in court, so we haven't actually seen the pic in question.

The man who allegedly killed Jacqueline Avant was caught in a backyard roughly an hour after shooting the 81-year-old ... and video shows him handcuffed to a wheelchair after being taken into custody.

According to cops, Aariel Maynor traveled from Beverly Hills to the Hollywood Hills after his attack on the Avant home. He attempted to break into another home in the Hills, and in the process somehow shot himself in the foot with an AR-15.

You can see in new video, Maynor was tended to by paramedics, and handcuffed to a wheelchair while he was loaded into an ambulance. Maynor appears to be quite chatty with first responders, though it's unclear exactly what he was saying.

His right foot -- presumably the one he shot -- is bandaged.

TMZ broke the story, Maynor was arrested in connection to Avant's case ... cops say neighborhood surveillance helped them connect him from the crime in Hollywood to the murder at the Avant home.

A suspect has been taken into custody in the shooting death of music legend Clarence Avant's wife, Jacqueline ... TMZ has learned.

Family sources with direct knowledge tell us a man has been arrested in connection to the murder.

TMZ broke the story, 81-year-old Jackie was shot and killed inside the couple's Trousdale Estates home in Beverly Hills Wednesday morning. At the time, we were told at least one suspect made it into the home. A smashed glass door appeared to be the point of entry.

What's more ... a private security guard for the Avant's was on duty, and was shot at, but was not struck and did not return fire. It's not known if the guard was armed.

Clarence was not injured during the attack..

During a press conference Wednesday, Beverly Hills Police Chief Mark Stainbrook shared a message from the family, but wouldn't share details on the investigation or who was involved.

Among tributes to Jacqueline was one from former President Bill Clinton, who said, "Jackie Avant was a wonderful woman, a great partner to Clarence and mother to Alex and Nicole, an active citizen & a dear friend to Hillary and me for 30 years. She inspired admiration, respect & affection in everyone who knew her. We are heartbroken. She will be deeply missed."