Throughout history, many famous names have lost their precious lives to gun violence. Fame indeed comes with a heavy price to pay! The famous victims range from wrestlers to politicians to actors and singers. In the following article we have discussed many such personalities which passed away due to gunshots.
Brandon Lee
The famous actor, Brandon Lee, died tragically due to a gun shot. However, this was a pure accident.
During the filming of The Crow, Michael Masee had to shoot with a prop gun at Brandon Lee. Even though the revolver wasn’t loaded with actual bullets, the gunpowder in the blank cartidges ignited and resulted in fatally wounding Brandon Lee. Sadly, the actor did not survive the surgery and passed away.
George Reeves
The suspicious death of George Reeves made many think that his death was rooted in propaganda. Even though it was confirmed that Reeves died by suicide the circumstances weren’t supporting the idea.
Reeves passed away at the age of 45 due to a gunshot.
Tupac Shakur
On 7th September, 1996, the American rapper was brutally shot in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was a tragic moment for Shakur’s family and fans because he was just 25 years old.
He was shot 4 times in the chest in Las Vegas.
Robert Harron
The famous American motion picture actor of the early silent film era, Robert Harron, lost his life a few days after being shot. The gun which shot Harron was actually under his possession. It got discharged accidentally, and punctured Robert’s lung. Even though he was checked into the hospital, the actor couldn’t sustain injuries and passed away.
There were several controversies revolving around his death. Many believed that Harron attempted suicide due to personal and career-related reasons.
The Notorious B.I.G
The pioneer of rapping, The Notorious B.I.G was another victim of gun violence. On March 9, 1997, he was murdered in a drive-by shooting.
4 gun shots were fired at him which made his condition worse. He was rushed to the hospital but the rapper passed away at the age of 24.
John Lennon
The English musician, John Lennon, who soared to new heights of fame alongside his band, The Beatles, was murdered by his own fan. The killer was Mark David Chapman who was a diehard fan of The Beatles.
But he was disturbed by Lennon’s lifestyle hence he conspired to kill Lennon. At last, he was successful as John Lennon passed away due to the gunshot which fatally injured him.
Lana Clarkson
The famous American actress and fashion model, Lana Clarkson, made her mark in the industry in the 1980s. Unfortunately, her career met a tragic end when the producer, Phil Spector, killed Clarkson with a gunshot.
Spector murdered the actress inside his own home. Following this event, the producer was charged with second-degree murder and convicted in 2009.
Takeoff
Takeoff, a rapper from the group Migos, was shot and killed on 1st November, 2022. Following his murder, the police arrested 34-year-old Patrick Clarke as Takeoff’s killer.
Junior Seau
The former NFL linebacker Junior Seau tragically lost his life to the gunshot wound on his chest. However, this was not caused by any murderer. The San Diego County medical examiner’s office confirmed that Junior Seau’s death was because of suicide.
His death sparked a debate that the former NFL player’s mental wellbeing was affected by the multiple concussions that he got during his career. His family even filed a lawsuit against NFL but the matter was later settled.
Kerry Von Erich
The American professional wrestler, Kerry Von Erich, took his own life by a gunshot directed at his heart. Further investigation into the case revealed that at the time of his death, the wrestler was embroiled in an ongoing case. His punishment would likely result in him being locked up for a longtime. Hence, he committed suicide on his father’s ranch in Denton County, Texas.
Marvin Gaye
In an unfortunate turn of events the famous American soul and R&B singer, songwriter, and musician, Marvin Gaye, was murdered at the hands of his own father.
According to the official details, Gaye was trying to intervene an argument between his father and mother. Subsequently, his father shot him twice and he was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Dorothy Stratten
On August 14, 1980, Stratten was discovered dead alongside Snider with whom she was sharing the house. Police later reported that Dorothy was murdered by Snider who raped and shot her. Mysteriously, Snider took his own life after this horrible act.
Paul Snider was Dorothy’s manager and husband. And in this duration she was planning on parting ways. But sadly Dorothy lost her life at the age of 20.
Phil Hartman
Phil Hartman died due to gun violence caused by his own wife. Hartman was a busy man back in the days and on the other hand his wife was a drug addict.
This unfortunate event took place in 1998 when Hartman was sleeping peacefully in his bed. Brynn decided to take advantage of this occasion and shot Hartman. After killing her husband, she also took her own life.
Bonnie Lee Bakley
In 2001, Bonnie Lee Bakley was ruthlessly shot. Initially, it was believed that the gruesome act was committed by her husband, Robert Blake, while she was sitting in his parked car outside a restaurant in LA. However, Blake was acquitted at trial.
So, Bonnie’s death by gunshot remains a mystery.
Malcolm X
In Manhattan, New York City, Malcolm X the famous political personality was shot multiple times. Unfortunately, he couldn’t survive the fatal wounds and died at the age of 39.
Martin Luther King Jr.
A bullet from Remington Model 760 rifle claimed the precious life of Martin Luther King Jr. The bullet penetrated his body and several organs were damaged by it.
He was standing casually in the balcony of his second-floor room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, when he was shot. Following Martin’s assassination there was an outburst of racial violence as well.
Sam Cooke
The police found musician Sam Cooke lifeless on his office floor. Later the investigation revealed that he was shot three times in the chest by the motel’s manager, Bertha Franklin. There was a huge controversy after his mysterious death but the authorities labelled it as a homicide.
Robert F. Kennedy
The assassination of Robert F. Kennedy is one of the most known world events. On 5th June, 1968, Kennedy was shot fatally. The politician lost his life the very next day. He was just 42 at the time of his death.
Gianni Versace
It was a normal day for Gianni Versace until an unknown man hidden from his eyesight took his life. As the Italian designer was preparing to enter his residence, a killer shot him twice in the back of his head.
Fred Hampton
The renowned Black Panther Leader Fred Hampton was another unfortunate victim of gun violence in the 1960s. But this isn’t the end of the story. Further investigation revealed that Fred was first drugged and then killed during a predawn raid at his Chicago apartment. It was a planned raid and the team knew exactly where Fred was sleeping.
Kenny McKinney
Kenny McKinley, the famous former Denver Broncos wide receiver took his own life using a gun. The fatal gunshot aimed at his head resulted in death at the age of 23.
Vanessa Marquez
Vanessa Marquez, the famous American actress, was shot dead multiple times by the police. However, Vanessa had a gun pointed towards the police and was advancing towards them. Hence, the police officers had to take this step.
Kurt Cobain
The American singer associated with the band Nirvana committed suicide using a gun. Sadly, his body was discovered three days after he passed away at his residence in Seattle, Washington. A suicide note was also found near his dead body and the visible wound on his head indicated that it was suicide.
Andrés Escobar
In the history of soccer, Andres Escobar’s death will always be remembered as the saddest event. At the age of 37, Escobar was shot dead in the United States after the 1994 World Cup. The killer shot Escobar 6 times.
Rebecca Schaeffer
The American actress and model, Rebecca Schaeffer, left this world on July 18, 1989. It was a 19-year-old fan Robert John Bardo who shot her dead at her home. He was nothing more of a obsessed stalker who had attempted to harm Rebecca several times before as well.
Big L
The famous rapper, Big L, was pronounced dead after he was shot with a gun. He was a victim of a drive-by shooting and was shot ruthlessly 9 times. Sadly, Big L was only 24 years old when he was killed.
Angelo Bruno
The Philadelphia crime family’s prime boss Angelo Bruno had a good run until he was assassinated. Bruno’s murder was well-planned as he was killed by a shot gun blast to his head as he was sitting in his car. Amidst this violence, his driver was also injured.
George Jackson
Being an American author and activist, Johnson became to be known publicly. However, despite all the other prestigious tags he was also a convicted felon. During his prison time he got involved in revolutionary activity. Jackson was killed in the same quest. He was shot by prison guards who were trying to stop the prison escape.
Sean Taylor
Taylor was shot at his home and was only 24 years old at the time of his death. The young promising athlete was disturbed by an intruder who brutally murdered him. At the time of this shooting, Taylor was in his home along with his daughter and girlfriend. However, both of them didn’t receive any injuries.
Pat Tillman
A successful American professional football player for the Arizona Cardinals, Pat Tillman, had a blooming career until his life was cut short in a tragic accident. Leaving behind his football career, Tillman enlisted into the army in 2002. He was shot while he was on duty.
Drake Sather
Drake Sather was an American stand-up comedian, television writer, and producer, who famously shot himself in the head in 2004.
Manuel Benitez
Manuel Benitez who began his career as a child-actor was shot to death by police officers in the famous ‘El Monte Restaurant Standoff.’ In a strange turn of events, Manuel took his own son hostage and demanded police to negotiate with him. Consequently, the police had to take the extreme approach.
Pinetop Smith
The pianist famous for his ‘Boogie Woogie’ style was shot to death in 1929. He got the gunshot wound in a dance-hall fight in Chicago. It is still undetermined whether Smith was the main target or not.
Justin Levens
The UFC fighter was killed along with his wife due to gun violence. The couple was discovered lifeless at their home. There was no suicide note or any signs of struggle. However, both passed away due to gunshot wounds.
DJ Uncle Al
Albert Leroy Moss or more commonly known as DJ Uncle Al was shot and killed at the age of 32. According to the police reports, he was shot at his northwest Miami-Dade home.
Selena
The ‘Queen of Tejano music,’ Selena, was shot and killed at the Days Inn in Corpus Christi, Texas. The 23-year-old singer passed away despite attempts to save her.
Medgar Evers
Medgar Wiley Evers, famous for being an American civil rights activist was shot in the back of his dead, just outside his home. His family discovered him bleeding. Evens was rushed to the hospital but he didn’t survive the gunshot wound.
Don Cornelius
The American TV Host, Don Cornelius, took his own life by shooting himself with a gun. He was famous for ‘Soul Train’ which was a byproduct of the political development at that time. Cornelius was a phenomenal host who invited artists like Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye and Barry White.
Johnny Ace
The American rhythm-and-blues singer, Johnny Ace, lost his life in 1954 because of an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was just 25 years old at the time of death.
John Wilkes Booth
The notorious American stage actor, John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated Abraham Lincoln, also died in a similar manner, when Union soldier Boston Corbett shot him in the neck. John died a few hours after he was shot.
Jon Erik Hexum
The American model and actor, Jon Erik, died because of an accidental self-inflicted blank cartridge gunshot to the head on the set of ‘Cover Up.’ Due to his unique charm and work ethic, Erik was seen as a promising star in the industry. Sadly, his career was cut short because of an unfortunate incident.
Dimebag Darrell
The American musician, Dimebag Darrell, was a victim of the famous Columbus nightclub shooting. Darell was on the stage performing on his band when the he was shot dead. 25-year-old Nathan Gale was the killer who rushed to the stage and targeted Darell.
MC Daleste
The uprising rapper, MC Daleste, was shot dead on stage. He was performing in the city of Campinas where he was shot in the abdomen. Tragically, Daleste fell to the ground and this moment was recorded by many attenders. Despite being rushed to the hospital, MC Daleste didn’t survive.
Christina Grimmie
The American singer and YouTuber was shot while she was busy signing autographs after her event. The 27-year-old Kevin James Loibl approached the singer who welcomed him with open arm. At this time, James shot the singer three times. She was rushed to the hospital but unfortunately Grimmie didn’t survive.
Moses J. Moseley
Moseley’s dead body was discovered near the Hudson bridge on 16th January 2022. The 31-year-old actor’s body showed a gunshot wound. Later the autopsy confirmed the gunshot as his cause of death.
Julio Foolio
Julio Foolio was shot dead in Florida. This unfortunate incident took place while the rapper was busy with his birthday celebrations. According to the police reports, 4 people were ‘hit with gunfire’ and one person died.
Archie Eversole
The renowned Atlanta rapper, Archie Eversole, was shot and killed by his own brother. The police officers were called to the gas station where they discovered Archie. He was rushed to the hospital but the rapper succumbed to his gunshot wounds. Following this tragic murder, his brother was caught near the crime scene and charged with murder.
Snootie Wild
In Houston, Texas, Snootie Wild took his last few breaths. The 36-year-old artist was shot dead in the neck. His body was found in a ditch near a SUV and was immediately rushed to the hospital. However, Wild didn’t survive. A few people also caught the moment on camera.
Rapper King Von
The 26-year-old rapper, King Von, lost his life in the infamous Atlanta shooting. The situation was escalated by two groups which eventually opened fire at each other. Allegedly these two groups were of King Von and Atlanta rapper Quando Rondo.
Nipsey Hussle
Hussle’s autopsy revealed that he was shot 11 times. Subsequently, Nipsey succumbed to the gunshot wounds and passed away at the age of 33. The Grammy-nominated rapper was killed at his clothing store in 2019.
Rapper XXXTentacion
Jahseh Onfroy, or more commonly known as XXXtentacion, was brutally shot and killed in Broward County, Florida. The rapper was reportedly leaving the Deerfield Beach motorsports dealership, when two armed men killed him in a robbery attempt. After killing the 20-year-old artist, the killers looted him and left his dead body there.
Doe B
On 28 December, 2013, Doe B, was shot in Alabama. Along with him 6 other civilians were injured and one bystander was killed. He was an upcoming artist who was just getting started with his career. Sadly, he was murdered.
Rapper Big Hawk
At the age of 36, Big Hawk was shot dead in Houston. An unknown assailant shot the rapper multiple times. Unfortunately, Big Hawk was murdered just 8 years after his younger brother Fat Pat was killed.
At the time of shooting, Hawk was sitting alone while waiting for his friend.
Jak Knight
The 28-year-old actor and stand-up comedian tragically passed away after shooting himself. Knight’s death was ruled out as suicide.
So, that was a brief description of a few celebrities which fell victims to gun violence. Stay tuned for more such celebrity-related news!
