Social media influencer Gabriela Gonzalez, better known as Gabbie Gonzalez, and her father are facing multiple charges, including attempted murder, after they allegedly worked together to hire a hitman to kill her ex-boyfriend, Jack Avery. Avery, who is best known as a member of the boy band Why Don’t We, shares a now 7-year-old daughter with Gonzalez. Gonzalez allegedly wanted the hitman to kill Avery so she wouldn’t have to share custody of their daughter with him, and her father was willing to pay to make it happen. Also reportedly working with them was her then-boyfriend, who is also facing charges.
The plan began several years ago.
According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by People, investigators alleged that 24-year-old Gabbie’s father, Francisco Gonzalez, became “deeply involved” in the custody issues and efforts to “discredit, monitor, and remove Avery from [their daughter]’s life.”
Francisco was described by witnesses as “hostile” toward Avery and “heavily invested” in the custody fight, the affidavit stated. According to one witness, he allegedly said words “to the effect that it would be cheaper if Avery were dead,” while another said the whole family was “obsessed” with obtaining full custody and cutting him out of his daughter’s life.
The affidavit claims the older man orchestrated a detailed plan to track and photograph Avery where he lived to gather evidence that could possibly discredit him during the custody fight.
Everything is now coming to light as the case moves forward.
“This was a lengthy investigation that was initiated by the FBI and eventually turned over to our office, resulting in criminal charges being filed today,” County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman shared in a statement shared by NBC News. “Most fathers raise their children to respect the law, but here we have a dad who allegedly helped his daughter and her boyfriend break the law in the most sinister way imaginable.”
Gabbie Gonzalez was arrested on May 18, 2026, in Los Angeles and charged with one count of attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and solicitation of murder, People reported. She is accused of using her then-boyfriend, Kai Faron Cordrey, to use the dark web to solicit a hitman to kill Avery.
Her father reportedly gave Cordrey $10,000 as front money to execute the plan in April 2021, according to prosecutors, NBC News reported. Two months later, Cordrey requested an additional $4,000 at the demand of the alleged hitman. Several days later, Cordrey reportedly asked that Avery be killed in a matter of days.
That September, an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a hitman spoke with Cordrey, who reportedly revealed that Avery was the target, discussed payment, and asked for proof of death, per NBC News.
Francisco Gonzalez, who was arrested in Florida on similar charges to his daughter and will be extradited to California, “knowingly entered into an agreement with Gabriela Gonzalez and Kai Cordrey to have Jack Avery killed, provided money in furtherance of that agreement, committed overt acts in support of the scheme, and directly communicated regarding the operational details of the murder-for-hire effort,” according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by USA Today’.
Jack Avery broke his silence on the whole situation in 2025.
@zachsangshow @Jack Avery reveals the scary reason the FBI showed up to his house #jackavery #fbi #zachsangshow #fyp ♬ original sound – Zach Sang Show
During an interview on the Zach Sang Show podcast in September 2025, Avery revealed that the FBI had shown up at his house to inform him that he was a victim. He was totally thrown by the news, and it threw him into a downward spiral.
He explained to the podcaster that he didn’t leave his home for about a month because he was afraid that someone was trying to kill him, calling the experience “traumatic.” The fear created a lot of anxiety for Avery, who took up drinking as a way to cope. That led to an alcohol problem that took years to work through.
When asked if he knew who put out the hit, Avery quickly said he wasn’t able to discuss details. But he did say that the person wanted him dead to “relieve stress” and “make their life easier.”
Avery, who admitted he had never discussed the experience publicly, also admitted to having a lot of conflict with Gabbie Gonzalez when their daughter was young but said at the time, things were getting better between them. He even called her a “great mom.”
