A San Francisco residential property that served as the scene of a fatal shooting earlier this year has been placed on the rental market, sparking widespread attention across the Bay Area. The residence, located at 2518 46th Avenue in the city's Sunset District, is being offered for lease after its owner was arrested and charged with orchestrating the ambush and killing of the tenant who previously resided there.
The single-family residence is currently being advertised for $6,300 per month. Marketing materials for the 1,200-square-foot home highlight its three bedrooms and two bathrooms, promoting features such as updated interior finishes, abundant natural light, and polished hardwood floors throughout the living space. When the rental was initially introduced to prospective tenants, the asking price was set at $8,000 per month before property managers reduced the figure to its current rate.
The property is registered under the Chagniot 2007 Family Trust, an entity that includes 68-year-old Philippe Henri Chagniot and his wife. Chagniot, a retired dentist, currently sits in custody following his arrest for the mid-May homicide of his longtime tenant, 58-year-old Eric Bigone. The fatal encounter occurred directly outside the home, in the driveway and street area near the intersection of 46th Avenue and Ulloa Street.
The decision to offer the property for lease emerged after judicial intervention restricted the owners from placing the home on the open sales market. While a presiding judge formally blocked the Chagniot family from selling the residence amid ongoing legal proceedings, the court order permitted the family trust to seek residential tenants to occupy the space.
The restriction against selling the real estate stems from civil actions initiated in the wake of the killing. Dino Bigone, the son of the deceased tenant, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Chagniot. In the civil complaint, the younger Bigone alleged that the landlord carried out the fatal shooting with a specific financial motive: to forcibly vacate the premises so that the property could be cleared out and placed on the market for a lucrative real estate sale.
On the criminal front, the San Francisco District Attorney's Office formally filed severe charges against Chagniot in May. Prosecutors charged the 68-year-old with murder, assault, arson, and multiple firearm-related violations. Following his initial court appearances, Chagniot was ordered detained without bail pending trial due to the grave nature of the allegations and the calculated circumstances surrounding the homicide.
According to investigative findings and criminal filings, the events leading to Bigone's death involved significant premeditation. Prior to confronting the tenant, the suspect reportedly moved through the vicinity of the 46th Avenue home and spray-painted over nearby surveillance cameras in an apparent effort to blind security systems and obscure the impending crime.
Investigators determined that the suspect then executed a diversionary tactic designed to draw the victim out of the residence. A fire was intentionally ignited on top of Bigone's vehicle parked outside the house. When the 58-year-old tenant emerged from the home to address the flames consuming his car, he was ambushed in the driveway area.
Authorities reported that Chagniot approached Bigone from behind while the tenant was actively dealing with the vehicle fire. The assailant fired two gunshots directly into the victim's back using an automatic MAC-10 firearm fitted with a silencer. Bigone suffered fatal injuries from the gunfire at the scene.
Immediately following the shooting, the perpetrator fled the immediate area. Security camera footage recovered from the surrounding neighborhood captured images of a figure identified as Chagniot departing the crime scene on a bicycle while carrying the silenced weapon.
The violent incident shocked the Outer Sunset community, where Eric Bigone was remembered by friends, family, and neighbors as a dedicated father and a well-known fixture of the local neighborhood. Tributes shared by peers celebrated his presence in the community, including memories of his time spent along the nearby coastline at Ocean Beach with his son.
The listing of the home at $6,300 a month has drawn scrutiny due to the extraordinary circumstances surrounding the property. While the criminal case against Chagniot moves through the San Francisco judicial system and the wrongful death litigation proceeds, the property trust continues its efforts to secure new occupants for the very home where the fatal dispute took place.
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