Celebrity Death

TikToker Anthony Barajas has died a few days after being shot at a movie theater, and having his date killed in front of him as well.

The social media influencer passed away Saturday morning in a hospital -- where he'd been on life support since Monday ... when he was shot in the eye by whom authorities suspect was someone named Joseph Jimenez ... who's facing multiple charges over this.

Anthony's date, 18-year-old Rylee Goodrich, was shot in the head too ... and died instantly. The shooting happened at a theater in Corona, CA -- and cops say it appears unprovoked, with the suspect seeming to have no connection to either Anthony or Rylee.

Jimenez was facing a murder count, an attempted murder count and robbery -- this after police say he actually stole Rylee's wallet after gunning her down. Amid Anthony's death, the charges are sure to be updated to include two counts of murder.

Rylee's father detailed the story that led up to the date -- apparently, his kid had met the TikToker over 4th of July weekend ... and after warming up to him, said she seemed happy for the date and got herself all dolled up to go out.

Anthony was just 19.

Gonzoe the rapper -- a friend of Tupac and Ice Cube -- has been murdered.

Police say Gonzoe was shot 3 times in the chest near a gas station in Seattle, Washington. The gunman is still at large and cops are on the hunt.

The 45-year-old rapper -- real name Ronald Moore -- was from Los Angeles. He was a member of the Outlawz and got his nickname from Tupac himself. His albums include "If I Live & Nothing Happens," and he contributed on "Kuruption" and "Godzilla."

After Gonzoe was shot he ran to a Shell gas station that was close by and then collapsed. He was rushed to a hospital where he died overnight.

It appears he was shot while driving ... cops found a vehicle riddled with bullets in the area.

Gonzoe was a member of Kausion ... a '90s group supported by Ice Cube. The group's album, "South Central Los Skanless," rose to #37 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.

Rapper C-Bo paid his respects to Gonzoe on social media, posting a throwback video of the two of them out together

Gonzoe was reportedly "working on numerous business deals after the high-profile fight with Boskoe, with whom he started a boxing league with after squashing their beef," All Hip Hop explained.

Gonzoe had started a boxing league with fellow-rapper Boskoe100. The 2 of them got in the ring and fought it out to a draw back in April.

Gonzoe was 45.

"If I killed somebody in the ring, it'd f****ing make me very happy."

That savage statement came courtesy of 30-year-old, UFC middleweight contender, Sean Strickland ... who's fighting #8 ranked fighter, Uriah Hall.

TMZ Sports recently talked to the 30-3 Strickland and asked him if 36-year-old Hall would be off his mental game after Chris Weidman's horrific leg injury during Uriah's last fight.

Sean's response, hell no. Fighters fight ... and that's when he said he wants to murder an opponent in the Octagon.

Really, we asked ... you mean that?

"Oh, I love it. Absolutely. But, I'm okay, I accept that. Like, if Uriah hits me and maybe I have a brain aneurysm and die, you'll hear me saying, 'I’m okay, that's a good death,' Strickland told us.

"We’re all going to die sometime. You know, might as well end in a good way. We’re all going to the same place, man. It's either gonna be then or now. Just enjoy it."

😬😬😬😬😬

BTW, we also talked to Uriah Hall about Strickland (the men obviously have history) ... and it's clear the UFC star has his sights set on champion Israel Adesanya.

Biz Markie is getting a grand sendoff from his famous friends and family ... his celebration of life is set for Monday in New York City.

Sources tell TMZ ... Al Sharpton will deliver the eulogy and celebs like Fat Joe, LL Cool J, Papoose, Big Daddy Kane, Al B. Sure! and Leland Robinson will be front and center to pay their respects to the trailblazing rapper.

It sounds like Biz will have an open casket ... we're told he will be dressed in a custom outfit designed by Harlem fashion icon Dapper Dan. Biz, of course, was one of Dapper Dan's biggest supporters when their careers were both getting off the ground.

There's a private family viewing set for Monday from 11 AM to 1 PM ET and the funeral service is scheduled to begin at 1:30 PM and run until 3:30 PM. TMZ and BET will be live streaming the celebration of life starting at 2 PM.

Metal Church's late frontman Mike Howe took his own life ... according to the cops who found the rocker's body.

A spokesperson for the Humboldt County Sheriff's Dept. tells TMZ ... Mike's official cause of death was determined to be asphyxia due to hanging. Officially, authorities are calling it a suicide.

As we reported ... cops got the call Monday just after 10 AM in Eureka, CA for a report of an unexpected death at a home. When deputies arrived at the scene, we're told they found Mike dead.

The Sheriff's Dept. also told us alcohol and drugs were not believed to be factors in the 55-year-old singer's death, and no controlled substances or paraphernalia were found in the home where he died.

Mike joined Metal Church in the 1980s and helped record the band's third album, "Blessing in Disguise," which included one of their most famous songs, "Badlands."

Here's the tragic 911 audio from former Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison's death, and while it starts off fairly matter-of-fact ... his ex-girlfriend ends up getting very emotional about what she's discovered.

In the audio, obtained by TMZ, the caller is a woman who says she's Joey's ex, and she tells the 911 dispatcher there are lots of signs making her think Joey's dead.

She says Joey's family hadn't heard from him in days, so she went to check on him at his home ... and she feared he was dead even before stepping inside.

As we reported ... Joey's family says the famous drummer died in his sleep and law enforcement sources told us no foul play is suspected and there were no illegal drugs found at the scene.

Joey's ex held it together at the start of the call, but once the operator asked for his full name and date of birth ... her emotions started pouring out, as she choked up and sobbed.

The rock star's sudden death shocked the music world, with Korn guitarist James "Munky" Shaffer telling us he couldn't believe Joey was gone.

Ron Popeil, the Renaissance man who created the Pocket Fisherman and Hair in a Can, has died ... TMZ has learned.

Family sources tell TMZ, Ron experienced a severe medical emergency Tuesday and died early Wednesday morning at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in L.A. He was surrounded by his family.

Popeil created the famous Showtime Rotisserie & BBQ and coined one of the most iconic catch phrases ever -- "Set it and Forget it!!!" The product grossed more than $1 BILLION in domestic sales, shattering QVC and other sales records.

Ron was born in New York City in 1935. His first entry into business was with his dad at his manufacturing facility in Chicago, where they sold kitchen products. It obviously made an impression on him, because Ron learned and then perfected the art of kitchenry.

Ron created the famed Chop-O-Matic in 1959 and it sold like crazy -- 2 million units. He followed that up with the Veg-O-Matic and another great catchphrase ... "But wait, there's more!!!" And that one's become an infomercial industry standard ... reused by product after product.

Popeil also created the Rhinestone Stud Setter, which later became the Bedazzler. And, it doesn't end there ... he created Mr. Microphone and the Inside the Eggshell Egg Scrambler.

Popeil formed his own company -- Ronco -- in 1964 and marketed hundreds of products to global TV audiences.

He also made dozens of cameos in TV and film ... and was famously parodied by Dan Aykroyd on 'SNL' in 1976.

The last time we got Ron on camera was 2017, when he talked about the new fad, Fidget Spinners.

Ron amassed a fortune estimated at $200,000,000.

Ron had a collection of friends and they referred to themselves as "The Rontourage."

Ron is survived by his wife, Robin, 4 daughters and 4 grandchildren.

Ron was 86.

ZZ Top's longtime bassist, Dusty Hill, has died ... TMZ has learned.

Dusty passed away at his home in Houston, TX -- this according to his bandmates, Billy Gibbons and Frank Beard.

They write, "We are saddened by the news today that our Compadre, Dusty Hill, has passed away in his sleep at home in Houston, TX. We, along with legions of ZZ Top fans around the world, will miss your steadfast presence, your good nature and enduring commitment to providing that monumental bottom to the 'Top'. We will forever be connected to that "Blues Shuffle in C." The boys add, "You will be missed greatly, amigo."

Unclear if Dusty's death is in any way related to another health scare he recently suffered -- namely, a hip injury that the band said he had to address in the past week or so, forcing him to bow out of a string of shows across the U.S. with his bandmates.

ZZT addressed the setback on Facebook not too long ago, writing ... "The members of ZZ Top, Billy, and Frank, would like to share that Dusty, their fearless Bass player, is on a short detour back to Texas, to address a hip issue. They await a speedy recovery and have him back pronto." They replaced Dusty with Elwood Francis ... who's been playing in his stead.

The group has yet to speak on Dusty's passing. They have a show scheduled for Wednesday night in Simpsonville, SC -- but something tells us that'll be canceled in light of this tragic news.

Dusty is one of the original founding members of ZZ Top -- serving as their lead bass player and secondary lead vocalist since they launched the rock band in 1969. He's also one half of the two famous bearded, sunglass-wearing men who help make up the trio ... with Billy obviously being the other.

They initially started as a blues-y act, but they eventually adopted a traditional rock sound ... which they stuck with and helped them launch into the mainstream in the '70s and well into the '80s as well. ZZ Top has churned out a whopping 15 albums over their storied career ... and are well-decorated for it, too -- serving as pillars of the genre for decades.

On top of being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, ZZ Top has been honored and recognized by different music organizations, especially in their home state of Texas. They've had wild success commercially too ... with several of their records having gone gold, platinum, multi-platinum and even one diamond offering in 1983's iconic "Eliminator."

That one produced perhaps their biggest hit to date, "Gimme All Your Lovin'," as well as others like "Sharp Dressed Man," "Legs," "Got Me Under Pressure" and more.

Despite not having made a new album since 2012, ZZ Top -- including Dusty himself, who's taken to the stage countless times over the years -- has continued to tour and entertain audiences around the world.

We last talked to Dusty and Billy on 'TMZ Live' back in 2019, when they were fresh off of a press run promoting a documentary covering their lives and careers. Ever the humorists, the fellas were cracking jokes about what they had (or hadn't, rather) seen just yet as far as cuts.

Dusty's finals words in our clip are quite timely right now -- he told us he'd "lived it" as far as what the doc covered, so seeing an early version didn't make much of a difference for them.

Lived he did, indeed. Dusty was 72.

RIP

Joey Jordison, one of the founding members of the heavy metal band Slipknot, has died.

Joey died in his sleep Monday, according to his family. The cause of death is unclear, but a statement from his loved ones says he passed away peacefully.

The family says Joey's death "has left us with empty hearts and feelings of indescribable sorrow" ... and they're remembering him as a prolific drummer, musician and artist with a quick wit, gentle personality and giant heart.

Joey's loved ones tell us they will hold a private funeral service for him, but it's unclear when that will happen.

As you know ... Joey's famous for starting Slipknot way back in 1995, playing drums for the super popular band. With Slipknot, JJ played drums on 5 studio albums and performed on the live album, "9.0: Live."

Joey played in other bands as well ... he left Slipknot in 2013 and formed the band Scar The Martyr, also playing drums. He played guitar for the metal band Murderdolls and most recently was rocking out with the band Sinsaenum.

Over his career, Joey played with tons of heavy metal bands, like Rob Zombie, Korn, Metallica, Otep, Satyricon and Ministry.

Joey was 46.

RIP

Actor Rick Aiello -- son of the late legendary actor, Danny Aiello -- has died of pancreatic cancer ... his family tells TMZ.

According to Rick's mother, Sandy ... he passed away Monday night surrounded by loved ones at a hospital in Warwick, New York. We're told he'd battled the illness for about a year and a half.

Sadly, Rick's brother, Danny Aiello III, also died of pancreatic cancer in 2010. Their father died in December 2019 from an infection related to a sudden illness he was being treated for ... as we first reported.

Rick followed in his father's footsteps as a veteran actor with more than 60 credits to his name, beginning in the mid-80s. He's most known for appearing in the same movie that earned his dad critical acclaim and an Oscar nomination -- Spike Lee's 1989 film, "Do the Right Thing."

Rick played Officer Long ... just like he did in Spike's "Jungle Fever" a couple years later.

He also had notable roles in "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me" and made guest appearances on shows like 'Law & Order' and "Sex and the City."

Ricky is survived by his wife, Arlene Anne Urichich, and their 2 kids.

He was 65.

Neither drugs nor alcohol are believed to be factors in the sudden death of Metal Church frontman Mike Howe ... according to cops.

A spokesperson for the Humboldt County Sheriff's Dept. tells TMZ ... cops got a call Monday morning just after 10 AM in Eureka, CA reporting an unexpected death at a home. We're told when deputies arrived they found Mike dead at the scene.

Cops say drugs and alcohol are not believed to be factors in the death and no controlled substances or paraphernalia were located at the scene. At the time of this post ... the cause of death is unknown.

The band released a statement on Facebook shortly after Mike's passing and said, "It is with our deepest regrets that we must announce the passing of our brother, our friend and true legend of heavy metal music."

The statement continued, "We are devastated and at a loss for words. Please respect our privacy and the Howe family’s privacy during this most difficult time."

Metal Church, universally credited with influencing the thrash metal genre, was formed in the 1980s and released 2 albums before Mike joined the group later that decade. He'd ultimately help pump out the band's third album ... "Blessing in Disguise," which churned out one of the group's most popular tracks, "Badlands."

The group would go on to release 2 more studio albums before the band broke up in the mid-1990s. The band ultimately got back together and Mike rejoined them in 2015.

Mike was 55.

Dieter Brummer -- an Australian soap opera star famous for "Home and Away" -- has died.

The Aussie actor's body was reportedly found by police Sunday after a welfare check was requested in a suburb of Sydney. His cause of death hasn't been announced, but cops say foul play isn't suspected.

Brummer's family released a statement, saying ... "We lost our handsome, talented, funny, complicated and beloved Dieter on Saturday morning." They add, "He has left a massive hole in our lives and our world will never be the same. Our thoughts go out to all of you who knew him, loved him, or worked with him over the years." They also asked for privacy.

Dieter's mostly known for his role as Shane Parrish on the Australian soap, on which he starred for several years in the '90s ... more than 500 episodes.

He'd done some other work since -- including roles on shows like "Underbelly," "Neighbours" and "Winners & Losers," among other small, one-time appearances -- but "Home and Away" is by and far his biggest claim to fame. It doesn't appear he'd acted much since about 2014.

Brummer was 45.

Jackie Mason, the crusty, self-doubting, enduring comedian who was anointed into pop culture by "The Simpsons," has died.

Jackie passed Saturday at Mount Sinai Hospital in NYC. His longtime friend Raoul Felder, tells TMZ ... Jackie had been hospitalized for more than 3 weeks ... admitted with inflammation of the lungs. He had been experiencing a number of health issues over the last few years.

Mason's comedy career spans 60 years, with some huge successes along with some pretty big bumps along the way.

His big break came in 1960, when he appeared on "The Steve Allen Show" and killed. That led to huge bookings at various clubs and regular TV appearances, including "The Ed Sullivan Show" where he appeared 12 times ... and then, disaster struck. In 1964, Mason was on Sullivan's live show but it was partially preempted by a speech by then-President Lyndon Johnson. When regular programming resumed, Mason was mid-way through his act and Sullivan was already counting him down with his finger "1 minute to go." Mason responded by looking at audience members, saying "Here's a finger for you, here's a finger for you" ... and so on.

He was damaged goods after that for years ... club owners felt he was "crude and unpredictable." Mason said, "It took 20 years to overcome what happened in that 1 minute."

And, there was more ... in a 1966 Vegas show, Mason mocked Frank Sinatra's marriage to young Mia Farrow -- "Frank soaks his dentures and Mia brushes her braces." As the story goes ... a gunman pumped a bullet into Mason's hotel room.

Mason's comedy was sometimes hilarious ... especially when he groused about his self-doubt.  He joked, "When I attended a football game, every time the players went into a huddle, I thought they were talking about me."

His biggest success came in 1986, with his one-man show "The World According to Me!" ... which ran on Broadway for 2 years and earned him a Tony and an Emmy for HBO's take on the show.

The title of his autobiography underscores his Jewish humor -- "Jackie, Oy!"

Mason was the voice of Rabbi Hyman Krustofsky, Krusty the Clown's dad, on "The Simpsons."

At the time of his death, Mason was surrounded by his wife, Jyll, and friend, Felder.

He was 93.

Rodney Alcala (AKA, "The Dating Game Killer") -- who killed several women in Orange County, as well as a child -- has died.

The California Dept. of Corrections made the announcement Saturday, saying Alcala passed away of natural causes Friday while hospitalized in a hospital near the city of Corcoran, where he was on death row after being tied to, tried and convicted over the murders of multiple women in and around the Orange County area during the 1970s.

His case is one of the more famous ones among CA's serial killers -- as the guy actually appeared on (and won) an episode of the famous 'Dating Game' in '78 ... after which his would-be date, Cheryl Bradshaw, reportedly canceled their plans after actually meeting him.

Supposedly, she found him to be "creepy" ... and in hindsight, good on her for following her intuition -- because a jury, years later, found that he had, in fact, been on a killing spree even before his TV debut. Who knows what would've happened if she went out with him.

Alcala was initially charged and tried in the 1979 kidnapping and murder of a 12-year-old girl, Robin Samsoe, in 1980 ... for which he was convicted and sentenced to death row. That judgment was reversed, however, in '84 by and Alcala was given a new trial.

There, too, though he was found guilty again ... only to have a federal court of appeals overturn the sentence yet again years later in 2003 -- and a new trial was granted once more. Finally, he got nailed ... and it was all due to the advent of technology.

In addition to Samsoe's murder, OC prosecutors say they found DNA evidence linking him to the murders of four other women in Orange County between '77 and '79. Later, he was indicted for two more murders in NY -- dating back to '71 -- to which he pled guilty.

He was charged with yet another murder out of Wyoming as recently as 2016 -- allegedly killing a woman named Christine Thornton in '78, who was 6 months pregnant. It doesn't appear as though that case was resolved though. BTW, several other jurisdictions across the U.S. either suspected or linked Alcala to murders in their states as well, including WA, AZ, NY and NH. His true victim count is unknown.

Actor Mike Mitchell, who appeared in "Gladiator" and "Braveheart," has died ... TMZ has learned.

Mitchell's rep tells TMZ the actor/bodybuilder died Friday on a boat in Turkey. The family says they believe he suffered a death from natural causes, although they weren't more specific.

The rep says, "It was very hard to believe ... The sudden death of an international actor we managed, an honest person, a real actor, a true friend, my dear friend, has saddened us deeply. I've always been honored to be your manager. I wish patience to you wife, dear Denise Mitchell, and your children. Getting to know you and gaining your friendship is invaluable. Sleep in the lights. RIP."

Mitchell started out as a bodybuilder and rose to the top ... he won Mr. Universe along with numerous World Fitness Federation's Fitness World Championships.

Mitchell competed for a bunch of titles, including Britain's Strongest Man.  He won 5 Masters Mr. World titles along the way. In 2010, he was given the WWF's highest honor ... the Living Legend Award.

As for acting, he got a big break in 1994 that has shades of Arnold Schwarzenegger. He got cast in "Braveheart" because of his imposing physical presence. He went on to appear in "Gladiator," "The Planet," "One Day Removals," "City of Hell," "Life on the Line" and "Emmerdale."

Mike suffered a serious setback in 2006 after winning his 5th World Fitness title -- he was stricken with a serious heart attack.

He lived on a boat in Turkey with his wife. Mike was 65.

RIP

Matt Ryan says he's devastated over the death of his former coach, Greg Knapp ... writing in an emotional note Friday that the guy was "one of the most positive, consistent, and caring coaches I have ever been around."

Knapp -- who tragically died Thursday from injuries he suffered in a horrific bike crash in California last weekend -- was Ryan's QB coach in Atlanta from 2018 through 2020 ... and he clearly had a huge impact on the Falcons star.

"He made it a point to know our families and for us to know his," Ryan said on his social media page. "My heart goes out to his family."

In each of his three seasons playing for Knapp, Ryan threw for more than 4,400 yards and 25 TDs.

"Greg made a significant impact on everyone he came into contact with and while he will be missed by so many he will never be forgotten," Ryan said.

"I'm so thankful for the time we were able to spend together."

Knapp was just 58 years old.