Exclusive
ROCKER GONE
Famed guitarist killed in drunken neighbor argument over tree trimmings after he grabbed 3 guns and opened fire on cops
Find out the disturbing details about the artist's final moments.
A FAMOUS guitarist has been killed after he was gunned down in a police stand-off following a drunken neighbor row about tree trimmings.
The artist grabbed three guns and opened fire on California cops in a driveway on Monday after things escalated between him and his neighbor.
2
2
Police later identified their suspect as Brian Montana, an original guitarist for Possessed.
Possessed is a death metal band based in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Montana died at age 60 after a 25-minute stand-off between him and the South San Francisco Police Department on Monday evening.
The former guitarist was armed with a handgun, shotgun and rifle, according to police.
READ MORE CRIME
He used the firearms to shoot at the cops from a driveway, seeking cover behind two parked cars and landscaping.
The cops used their own cars to take cover and then returned fire.
Montana died in the stand-off that Stephen Wagstaffe, district attorney for San Mateo County, told The U.S. Sun started because of an argument with his neighbor whose tree trimmings fell onto his yard.
Wagstaffe confirmed that Montana had been drinking.
Most read in The US Sun
"When you have anger, tequila and guns, that's a recipe for disaster," he said.
He explained how Montana was angry at his neighbor, whose wife was good friends with Montana's wife, and decided to grab his guns.
While the neighbor was inside his own house grabbing his guns, Montana grazed him with a bullet that he shot through the door.
The cops were called and Montana immediately started shooting at them once they arrived.
It was a "small little thing that turned into a bonfire," Wagstaffe said.
BAND PAYS TRIBUTE
Possessed paid tribute to Montana following his death.
"Very tragic news," the band wrote on their Instagram story.
Weezer bassist Scott Shriner’s wife Jillian Lauren shot by police after ‘pointing handgun at cops' in chaotic scenes
They added: "Our sympathies to the Montana family and friends."
Possessed, known as the godfathers of death metal, was created in 1983.
Montana left the band shortly after in 1985 and was replaced by Larry LaLonde, who is more known for his current gig as the guitarist for the rock band Primus.
The artist said he left Possessed because of founding guitarist Mike Torrao.
Brian Montana's police stand-off
Former Possessed guitarist Brian Montana, 60, died on Monday during a stand-off with California cops. Here are the details:
- Montana was armed with a handgun, shotgun and rifle.
- He shot at officers from the South San Francisco Police Department.
- He used two parked cars and landscaping for cover.
- The cops used their own cars to take cover and then returned fire.
- Montana died in the stand-off that reportedly was connected to a dispute over tree trimmings falling over a neighbor's yard.
- One resident was injured during the incident.
“I left the band because Torrao had a terrible attitude problem and wouldn’t stop ragging at me," Montana previously told .
"He had a problem with my image," he said.
The artist added: "He didn’t think I was evil enough or something."
The original Possessed band only lasted until 1987, but they have reformed multiple times.
Most recently, the band reformed in 2017, and in 2019, they released Revelations of Oblivion - their first album in decades.
Montana is the second Possessed member to be shot.
In 1989, vocalist Jeff Becerra was shot multiple during a robbery that left him paralyzed, per .
Read More on The Sun
More to follow... For the latest news on this story, keep checking back at The U.S. Sun, your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, sports news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures, and must-see videos.
Like us on Facebook at and follow us on X at
Topics