A Los Angeles lawyer was allegedly fatally shot by his brother during an argument over Christmas weekend, according to cops and a close friend.

Krikor Kouyoumdjian, a 33-year-old civil rights attorney, was shot at his home in the North Hills area around 1:45 p.m. Saturday, police said.

Officers rushed to the home on the 9000 block of Noble Ave. after gunfire rang out.

Krikor Kouyoumdjian was allegedly shot and killed by his brother. LinkedIn

An ambulance responded, but it was too late to save Kouyoumdjian, who died at the scene.

The successful lawyer was shot during a heated argument with his younger brother, Alex Kouyoumdjian, 30, with whom he had a tumultuous relationship, his law partner, Jonathan Haderlein, told The Post.

“I have nothing nice to say about his brother or father,” said Haderlein. “He was an absolute victim.”

“There is no way he deserved this. All they ever did was take from him, and they should be ashamed of themselves,” Haderlein added.

Need West Coast news? The California Post is coming soon.

Get in early. Sign up for our weekly newsletter before our 2026 launch.

Thanks for signing up!

Kouyoumdjian and Haderlein were not only law partners but friends since in the gifted program at Eagle Rock Elementary in the 6th grade.

“He was an extremely gifted young man,” Haderlein said.

They met again at North Hollywood High School where they both joined the debate team.

Debate became a defining passion for Kouyoumdjian, who later launched a debate program at the Center for Early Education in North Hollywood where he coached 5th and 6th graders for 14 years.

“Despite getting through law school, and starting his law career, he has always made that a priority that he would be there on Thursday afternoons to coach,” Haderlein said. “Of everything he did that was what he was the most proud of.”

At the time of his murder, Kouyoumdjian was living at the home with his fiancé and elderly father who he cared for. Citizen.com

Kouyoumdjian and his brother allegedly had a tumultuous relationship. H&K

Kouyoumdjian became the captain of the debate team at Loyola Marymount University, and was crowned champion of the Oxford debate tournament, despite the stresses at home.

Kouyoumdjian — whose Armenian surname translates roughly to “son of a jeweler” — spent years sleeping in a tent or his car while he poured everything he had into building a home.

“His father was a successful jeweler and was the victim of a terrible armed robbery in the 90s,” said Haderlein, “Their family finances after that were always uncertain.”

That very home, which later became the site of his tragic murder, “was his pride and joy,” said Haderlein. “He transformed it from a wreck into the envy of our whole community in the best way. That is where everybody felt most comfortable and safe and where we could have the best times.”

At the time of his murder, Kouyoumdjian was living at the home with his fiancé and elderly father who he cared for.

Days before he was killed, Kouyoumdjian held his annual Christmas party on Dec. 20. Citizen.com

Kouyoumdjian planned to get married on April 18th 2026. Instead, his fiancé watched him die and remains deeply traumatized, Haderlein said.

The couple first met through a Facebook group for law students who liked to play Dungeons & Dragons.

In 2023, Kouyoumdjian and Haderlein started their own law firm aimed at taking on ethical cases that could make a real difference. They recovered millions of dollars for their clients and most notably opened a class action lawsuit against Delta Airlines claiming their carbon neutral status is false and does not counteract the climate crisis, the Guardian reported.

“This year, it had been a really exciting time for the firm. We had a lot of excitement about getting to do law on moral issues that we cared about,” said Haderlein.

Days before he was killed, Kouyoumdjian held his annual Christmas party on Dec. 20, raffling off handcrafted items from his woodworking shop. Among his favorites this year were salt-and-pepper mills shaped like chess pieces.

It’s not clear what the fatal argument was about.

“It’s hard to put logic to these things. Gun violence between family members … it’s an unspeakable tragedy,” Haderlein said.

The motive and details of the shooting are still under investigation, the LAPD said. The suspect was arrested at the scene.