Photo: Getty
The basketball great has tragically died.
By Bernadette Giacomazzo — Written on Jan 26, 2020
The world has truly lost a legend when it was confirmed that Kobe Bryant, 41, was amongst the nine people killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, CA. There were no survivors on the deadly crash.
Who else died in the Kobe Bryant helicopter crash?
The investigation into the crash — the cause and so on — is still ongoing. However, let's look at what we know about the deadly crash that claimed the life of Bryant, 41, and his daughter, Gianna, 13 on January 26, 2020.
1. Who else died in the Kobe Bryant helicopter crash? Though the names of the other victims weren't released, Bryant's 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, was among those killed.
It was eventually confirmed that one of the victims was Kobe's daughter Gianna Marie Onore — known as Gigi to her friends and family — who was only 13 years old when she died. Reports confirmed that the other passengers were players, coaches, and the pilot.
2. Vanessa Bryant, Kobe's wife, was not on board the helicopter.
Though rumors certainly abounded on social media about who was and wasn't, on the helicopter with Bryant, it was subsequently confirmed that Bryant's longtime wife, Vanessa, was not on the helicopter when it crashed. Additionally, Bryant's other daughters — Capri, Natalia, and Bianca — were not on the helicopter when it crashed, either.
3. A statement from the City of Calabasas was the first to confirm Bryant's death in the crash.
"It is with great sadness that we learn of the death of Kobe Bryant and four others in a helicopter crash in Calabasas. The aircraft went down in a remote field off Las Virgenes around 10:00 this morning. Nobody on the ground was hurt. The FAA and NTSB are investigating," the City of Calabasas said, in an official statement.
4. The weather may have played a role in the crash.
Though the FAA is still investigating the crash, initial reports suggested the weather may have had something to do with it. Currently, there's a huge fog in Southern California, and that fog may have been responsible for sending the helicopter crashing into the ground.
What's more, when the helicopter hit the ground, it caused a fire on impact, making it difficult for first responders to get to the scene. However, the fire has been contained, as of this writing.
5. His last interaction on Twitter was a message of love.
"Continuing to move the game forward @KingJames. Much respect my brother," was Bryant's last tweet to the world, in which he congratulated fellow NBA great LeBron James for surpassing him on the all-time scoring list.
6. No statements from his family have been released as of yet.
As one can imagine, no official statements from his family have been released as of this writing. However, we will keep you updated on any and all developments as they are released.
7. The NTSB updated the death toll to 9 people as of 6:28 p.m. ET on January 26, 2020.
Shortly after it was announced that Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, were killed in a helicopter crash, the NTSB announced that there were a total of nine victims in the Kobe Bryant helicopter crash, as opposed to only 5 people.
UPDATE AS OF 1/26/2020 AT 8:10 P.M. ET: It has just been confirmed that Orange Coast College basketball coach John Altobelli was also amongst the nine victims. Altobelli, along with his wife Keri and daughter Alyssa, were amongst the nine people killed on the helicopter crash that claimed Kobe and Gianna Bryant's lives. Another, victim, Christina Mauser — wife of Tijuana dogs singer, Matt Mauser, was also confirmed as one of the victims.
Bernadette Giacomazzo is an editor, writer, publicist, and photographer whose work has appeared in Teen Vogue, People, Us Weekly, The Source, XXL, HipHopDX, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, BET.com, and more.