An Altadena resident died in Carson during this weekend’s Jazz Festival, and local officials have faced criticism over their handling of the situation — though others defended the South Bay town.

Shari Sanders, whose age has not been disclosed, died on Saturday, Oct. 3, during Carson’s annual Jazz Festival. Sanders has three sons, six grandchildren, two brothers and a sister, according to a GoFundMe page created by her daughter-in-law, Gloria Mapp-Parker. In 2025, Sanders lost her home of 35 years in the Eaton fire; her home was recently rebuilt

“Despite so much loss, Shari kept going,” the GoFundMe page says. “She was the glue keeping this family together. Our family is devastated by this loss and is still trying to process what has happened.”

While the cause of Sanders’ death was unknown, as of Wednesday, some blamed the extreme heat during the outdoor concert at Anderson Park, with temperatures reaching up to 100 degrees. One of the performers, world-renowned jazz percussionist Sheila E., alluded to this in a public video statement she posted to Instagram on Tuesday, Oct. 6.

“There was just not enough water for everyone,” said the performer, whose real name is Sheila Cecilia Escovedo. “Carson, you need to do better. This is not good.”

But what she was most upset about, Sheila E. said, was how the death was handled.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s and Fire departments responded to a call about an unresponsive woman at 10 a.m., said sheriff’s deputy Sterling Buck. After 30 minutes of life-saving measures by fire personnel, she was proclaimed dead.

In her statement, Sheila E. said that she and the other performers were informed of Sanders’ death around noon. The performances halted for a few minutes, she said, before resuming.

“They told us later that she had passed,” Sheila E. said. “The music started and we figured that everything had been taken care of. We were all heartbroken because that’s never happened, to have someone pass away before our performance.”

Sheila E. and her band were the second to last performers of the day and she dedicated her performance to Sanders before concluding the set around 4:30 p.m. Afterward, they were told that Sanders’ body had not yet been removed from the park.

“I just want to say to the community that I would have never, never gotten on stage if I would have known that her body was still sitting there,” Sheila E. said. “You should have stopped the festival. This was uncalled for. It made me sick to my stomach when I heard later on Saturday that her body did not get taken until after we were off stage. Carson, you have to do better and this is horrible.”

While the Sheriff’s Department was not able to confirm how long Sanders’ body remained in Anderson Park after she was proclaimed dead, Buck said that it can take a mortuary anywhere from 10 minutes to eight hours to retrieve a body.

Sheila E.’s statement saw thousands of comments reprimanding Carson for not handling the situation properly

Carson declined to comment on the situation. But Mayor Lula Davis-Holmes released a statement on Sunday, Oct. 4, expressing condolences to Sanders’ family.

“Our hearts are heavy following the tragic loss of a life at our community event,” Davis-Holmes said. “On behalf of the city, I extend our deepest condolences to the family, loved ones and everyone affected by this tragedy. I have personally reached out and have spoken to the family during this painful time, and I ask our entire community to join me in keeping them in your prayers – surrounding them with strength, comfort, and peace during this unimaginable moment. At this moment, our first priority is compassion-supporting this grieving family and standing together as a community.”

During the Tuesday, Oct. 6, City Council meeting, however, Davis-Holmes called up a list of Carson residents who spoke in favor of the city.

“Miss Sheila E. did not tell the truth,” said resident Tamika Jackson. “We are a strong city. We take care of our residents. We take care of our guests.”

Jackson also said that there was plenty of water, with free water bottles available to the attendees, and misting stations.

Davis-Holmes also praised city staffers for how they handled the incident.

“The real heroes are our staff who were there that day,” she said.

While the city declined to answer any questions or release any further details regarding Sanders’ death, Davis-Holmes assured the community that the Fire Department, Sheriff’s Department, city staff and Sanders’ family would meet to discuss how the situation was handled.

The GoFundMe to support Sanders’ family can be found at gofundme.com/f/support-shari-sanders-family-after-loss.

“I am asking for support to help with the immediate financial burdens our family is facing,” the GoFundMe page says. “The funds will help cover bills, give Shari a proper send-off and support the needs of Shari’s mother and father.”