These assassins shot for the stars. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at the most shocking assassinations of celebrities and those in the entertainment industry.
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00:00What kind of a diabolical mind would contemplate or conceive these seven murders?
00:05Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at the most shocking assassinations of celebrities and those in the entertainment industry.
00:12We were unable to restore the life of Mr. Lennon.
00:18Rebecca was shot with a powerful pistol.
00:24Revolvers are too easily available in the United States.
00:29Known primarily for the sitcom My Sister Sam, Rebecca Schaefer was the picture of youth and promise.
00:35Unfortunately, her life was cut short at just 21 when she was murdered on July 18, 1989.
00:42Her work attracted the attention of one Robert John Bardo, an obsessed fan who wrote Schaefer letters and obtained her home address by using DMV records.
00:50He arrived on the morning of July 18, showing Schaefer an autograph that she had previously signed for him.
00:56He was polite, but kindly asked him to leave and never return. He did leave, but returned only an hour later and shot Schaefer in the chest.
01:03Following her murder, California passed the country's first anti-stalking laws and restricted access to personal DMV records.
01:11They understand that stalking is a dangerous crime, whether the person appears to be dangerous at the moment or not. They can turn dangerous like that.
01:19Nipsey Hussle
01:20Now to that breaking news overnight, Grammy-nominated rapper Nipsey Hussle shot and killed outside his own clothing store in Los Angeles.
01:28Real name Ermias Askedom, Nipsey Hussle was a rising star in the music industry, with his debut album Victory Lap earning a Grammy nom for Best Rap Album.
01:36Unfortunately, it would be the rapper's only studio album, as he was tragically assassinated on March 31, 2019, in front of his clothing store in South Central Los Angeles.
01:47Hussle was in the parking lot when he got into a heated argument with a man named Eric Holder, who was supposedly working as an informant for the police.
01:54Passionate from the huge argument, Holder took out a gun and shot Hussle at least 10 times. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, but was pronounced dead less than 40 minutes later.
02:04He was so enraged and triggered by this emotional response that he acted without premeditating.
02:11Jill Dando
02:12There have been several theories about Jill's killing, such as that she was a victim of a professional hit or mistaken identity.
02:19A very popular TV presenter, Jill Dando was known for hosting the show Crime Watch and won the BBC's Personality of the Year award in 1997.
02:28But on April 26, 1999, she was tragically shot and killed outside her London home in what appeared to be a highly professional execution.
02:38According to reports, the killer grabbed her from behind as he was approaching the door, forced her face to the ground, and shot her once in the left temple.
02:46Her murder sent shockwaves through the UK and led to one of the most high-profile investigations in British criminal history, leading to the eventual arrest of one Barry George.
02:56George was put away, but the evidence was extremely weak and largely circumstantial, and he was acquitted and freed in 2008.
03:03To this day, Jill Dando's murder remains unsolved.
03:07This was a professional hit all day long. The police initially thought it was a professional hit. Then a year later, that's when Barry George comes into the frame.
03:15Selena
03:16It's true. I did have a problem with a doctor I worked with, but I would never take anything from Selena. Never.
03:25With nicknames like the Queen of Tejano Music and Tejano Madonna, Selena was a huge star in the 1990s and helped bring Latin music to the American mainstream.
03:34Her tragic death stemmed from her relationship with Yolanda Saldívar, a diehard fan who eventually became the president of Selena's fan club and the manager of her boutique.
03:44Selena's family began to suspect Saldívar of embezzling money from her various enterprises, and she was fired.
03:50Selena arranged a public meeting with Saldívar to hand over some financial documents, and it was here that Saldívar took out a gun and shot the singer in the back.
03:58Selena's death rocked the Latiné community and beyond, and Saldívar was sentenced to life in prison.
04:04Saldívar, the resident of San Antonio, was meeting Selena to hand over financial documents.
04:10Look at what I've done to my best friend!
04:13William Desmond Taylor
04:15The assassination of William Desmond Taylor is one of Hollywood's most enduring mysteries, dating back to the early 1920s.
04:22Taylor was a major star at the time, acting in 27 silent films and directing a further 59.
04:28The star was found dead in his Hollywood bungalow on the morning of February 2, 1922, with a gunshot in his back.
04:34This occurred during a time when Hollywood was already reeling from several scandals, including the famous Fatty Arbuckle trials,
04:41leading to lots of yellow journalism and Hollywood's reputation as a sleazy city filled with vice and violence.
04:47While various theories have been proposed over the years regarding Taylor's murder, none has conclusively explained the crime, and it remains unsolved to this day.
04:56Sal Mineo
04:58He was a very unconventional, kind of a Greenwich Village artist type.
05:03This beloved actor earned two Oscar nominations in his lifetime, one for the famous Rebel Without a Cause and the other for Otto Preminger's historical epic Exodus.
05:12On the evening of February 12, 1976, Sal Mineo was returning to his apartment in West Hollywood after rehearsing for a play.
05:20As he walked towards the complex, Mineo was stabbed in the heart by a mugger.
05:24He was quickly found by his neighbor who heard the screams for help, but the damage was too extensive and Mineo died of blood loss.
05:31A pizza delivery driver named Lionel Williams was eventually arrested and charged with Mineo's murder, which was nothing but a simple mugging that turned violent.
05:39Williams served 12 years in prison and was released in 1990.
05:43Walked each other up to the front of the theater and out into the street, and I probably gave him a slap on the back and said, see you tomorrow.
05:53The Notorious B.I.G.
05:55I love it when you call me Big Papa
05:57Throw your hands in the air if you's a true player
06:00A significant event in the history of hip-hop, and music more generally, occurred on March 9, 1997, when Biggie Smalls was murdered in a drive-by shooting.
06:10Biggie had become embroiled in the famous West Coast-East Coast feud, and in the early morning of March 9, he was shot while leaving a party at L.A.'s Peterson Automotive Museum.
06:19A Chevy Impala pulled up next to Biggie's vehicle, and the driver used a 9mm pistol to shoot the rapper four times before speeding away.
06:27The LAPD investigated the shooting but faced numerous challenges, and the shooting remains unsolved.
06:33Key suspects include corrupt LAPD officers, infamous record exec Suge Knight, and a gang member named Wardell Fouse.
06:40I think Poochie was involved, I think Suge Knight orchestrated it through his, at the time, girlfriend slash baby mama.
06:49Dimebag Daryl
06:50Well Karen, fans continue to come to this home, they are bringing flowers, they are lighting candles, or they're just stopping by to pay their respects.
06:57Daryl Abbott became a significant figure within the metal sphere as Dimebag Daryl, the famous guitarist of Pantera.
07:04Often considered one of the best guitarists in rock history, his life was cut short on December 8, 2004, during a concert put on by his side project, Damage Plan.
07:14The band was playing at the El Rosa Villa nightclub in Columbus, Ohio, when a fan stormed the stage and shot multiple people.
07:21Daryl was hit numerous times and died at the scene, and the shooter was ultimately killed by a responding police officer after causing further carnage.
07:29The shooting resulted in three injuries and four innocent deaths, and it's theorized that the shooter harbored delusions about Daryl owing to mental illness.
07:37He was the type of guy, it didn't matter who you were, if he knew you or not, he would talk to you. Always a nice guy.
07:42Tupac
07:43Las Vegas police have arrested a man connected to the 1996 murder of rapper Tupac Shakur.
07:49The drive-by shooting that killed Tupac Shakur is one of the most notorious stories in music history, known for its random act of violence and unsolved nature.
07:57The famous rapper was leaving a Las Vegas boxing event on September 7, 1996, when he was shot multiple times in a drive-by.
08:05He died in the hospital a few days later, leaving a profound and reverberating impact throughout the hip-hop industry.
08:11In 2023, a man named Dwayne Davis was arrested and charged with Tupac's murder, following decades of speculation and scattershot theories.
08:19During the grand jury hearing, a witness revealed that the shooter was a member of the Southside Compton Crips named DeAndre Smith.
08:26That's what I'm trying to tell everybody, man. You know, these guys were no poobuts. They were gangsters, man. They shot and killed people.
08:34Gianni Versace
08:35When we heard bang, bang, I thought it was backfire from the lawnmower that was being worked on.
08:41To this day, Versace remains a key name in the fashion industry, a legacy that speaks to the immense talent of its famous founder.
08:49By July of 1997, Versace was famously living in a massive mansion on Miami Beach, which he had purchased for nearly $3 million in 1992.
08:58On the morning of July 15th, Versace was returning home from a walk when he was approached by serial killer Andrew Cunanan, who randomly shot him twice in the head.
09:07Much speculation remains about the murder. It's believed that Cunanan met Versace some years earlier in San Francisco, but the Versace family denies this.
09:16Furthermore, no one knows what Cunanan's true motive was, as he took his own life shortly after murdering the fashion icon.
09:23Versace was a wealthy, older, gay man. Exactly the type of person Andrew made money off of, but I think hated at the same time.
09:35Christian Poveda
09:36Renowned French photojournalist Christian Poveda found an issue that needed more than just photographic representation.
09:42His debut documentary La Vida Loca explored horrific gang wars in El Salvador, mostly from the perspective of the 18th Street Gang.
09:54Despite the film's renown, it gave some dangerous people more exposure than they wanted.
10:02In 2009, Poveda was shot dead in a hit by the 18th Street Gang facilitated by a corrupt police officer.
10:08Nearly a dozen conspirators were convicted, but one Salvadoran journalist asserted that Poveda's was just one of many murders in the area that day.
10:17Poveda believed in taking the ultimate risks to spread the most urgent stories.
10:21La Vida Loca remains a worthy success, but it cost a good man and important filmmaker his life.
10:28Chalino Sanchez
10:38El Red del Corrido was in the right place at the right time to influence modern Mexican folk.
10:43Sadly, Chalino Sanchez was not so lucky in 1992.
10:47Four months after surviving a gunfight at Coachella, he dismissed a death threat at a concert in Culiacan.
10:53During the drive home, he was pulled over by men claiming to be state police, who needed a word with him at the station.
10:59Sanchez was found bound and dead of a gunshot the following day.
11:03The Narco Corrido trailblazer had his share of enemies as a volatile man who brought a criminal underworld to mainstream attention.
11:18Culiacan was and still is a cartel stronghold.
11:21Sanchez's killers were never identified, but his music and influence continue to expose urgent issues.
11:35Joan Root
11:36Kenyan conservationist Joan Root was a groundbreaking voice in environmental documentaries.
11:41A prominent activist who took on corrupt industries and poachers.
11:45As a result, the nutrients that would otherwise be locked up in the dead wood are rapidly recycled into the system,
11:51making it a richer and more varied place.
11:53This likely contributed to four men killing her in her home with AK-47s.
11:58But no one knows who exactly was behind the killing.
12:02It could have been any number of criminal figures and syndicates,
12:05with some evidence pointing to disgruntled or corrupt associates hiring the killers.
12:09She didn't know Naivasha. She didn't know the area. She didn't know the people.
12:15Four men were eventually arrested, with robbery as a suspected motive, only to be acquitted due to flimsy evidence.
12:21For all of Root's work behind and away from the camera to bring justice, she has yet to receive any herself.
12:28Really, in her life story, it was a microcosm of what is happening, not just to Kenya and Africa, but to the rest of the world.
12:40Yeah, the animal of racism is covered there with nice, democratic discourse.
12:48Actor and filmmaker Julian Omar Khamis was beloved in Palestine and Israel,
12:53a citizen and outspoken peace activist of both states.
12:56His proudest achievement was establishing the Freedom Theater in the Jenin refugee camp.
13:02He was driving home from this cultural center when a masked gunman shot him five times in front of his son and babysitter.
13:10Though no one was ever convicted, it's suspected that the killer was a refugee and Islamic fundamentalist.
13:16Mehr Khamis was always aware of the risks involved in trying to unify cultures with progressive ideals.
13:22Just as he brought together Palestinians and Israelis in life, he united them in mourning his senseless death.
13:30Sports fanaticism can become dangerous. In a case like Andres Escobar's, it can become fatal.
13:36The Colombian footballer was a hugely popular defender and public figure.
13:40Alas, his reputation plummeted after a 1994 World Cup match between Colombia and the United States,
13:47in which Escobar accidentally deflected the ball into his own team's goal.
13:51This helped seal Colombia's defeat and Escobar's fate.
13:55Five days later, he was shot once for each of the six goals called during that unfortunate game.
14:00Humberto Castro Munoz, a cartel enforcer whose boss allegedly bet big on Colombia, was later convicted on a guilty plea.
14:08Theo Van Gogh
14:09A descendant of Vincent Van Gogh's brother, Theo Van Gogh was a prolific and enlightening filmmaker.
14:15But controversy erupted around the first installment in his documentary series Submission,
14:20which dealt with violence against women in Muslim societies.
14:26Life with my husband is hard to bear, but I submit my will to you.
14:31The short film was written by Ayan Hirsi Ali, a Somali-born former Muslim who's been accused of Islamophobia.
14:37The backlash culminated in Islamic extremist Mohamed Bouyeri shooting and cutting Van Gogh to death.
14:43He then pinned a death threat against Hirsi Ali to the body.
14:46The very public assassination and murder trial gripped Dutch media.
14:50Van Gogh is now considered a defining figure of the importance of modern documentary filmmaking and a reminder of its dangers.
14:57Dino Bravo
14:58Dino Bravo!
15:01Adolfo Bresciano was an icon of Canadian pro-wrestling under the name Dino Bravo.
15:06But he was also swept up in violent enterprises outside of the ring.
15:10After retiring in 1992, he became a rising star in Canada's untaxed cigarette trade.
15:16It's assumed that he worked for his late uncle-in-law Vincenzo Catroni's notorious Montreal Mafia.
15:22Whatever he was up to, Bresciano's wife and daughter found him dead in his home with 17 gunshot wounds.
15:34Fellow wrestler Rick Martel speculates that his friend was targeted after police caught onto a cocaine operation he became involved in.
15:41Little is known about Bresciano's double life, let alone his unsolved murder.
15:45It's still all but certain that Canada's strongest man was finally brought down by organized crime.
15:51Many times in that match you take care of the boss man, but he seems to be aggressive and he definitely has an attitude problem.
16:10Pierpaolo Pasolini's shocking films and writing made him one of Europe's most prominent, if divisive, Marxist artists.
16:16His personal life was also steeped in controversy for his involvement with teenage boys.
16:20After Pasolini was run over and beaten to death, teenager Giuseppe Pelosi confessed to killing him in self-defense.
16:26The slaying quickly became one of the most notorious in film history, especially for evidence suggesting Pelosi's innocence.
16:33After being released from prison, he claimed that his confession was coerced by several men who likely assassinated Pasolini.
16:40It's now popularly believed that the left-wing figure fell victim to the right-wing terrorism that pervaded Italy by the 1970s.
16:46In 2023, a formal plea to investigate evidence implicating a politically affiliated crime syndicate was submitted.
17:05Sharon Tate
17:10The senseless murder of actress Sharon Tate, along with several others at the home she shared with director Roman Polanski, is a cultural touchstone of the 1960s.
17:20An eight-and-a-half-months pregnant Tate and four friends had been stabbed to death.
17:24Police soon arrested members of Charles Manson's bohemian cult.
17:28While there is debate about their motivations, the leading theory is that Manson intended to frame black people for high-profile murders,
17:35thus inciting an apocalyptic race war he dubbed Helter Skelter.
17:38The bizarre incident has since gained an almost mythical reputation in the true crime and Hollywood zeitgeists.
17:44The fact remains that six lives were tragically and brutally lost.
17:48Two years ago, the hippie commune led by Charles Manson moved into this old Wild West film set just outside Los Angeles.
17:56And it was here that they were living on the night the alleged murders took place.
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18:16John Lennon
18:24One of the most influential musicians of all time, John Lennon was also one of the most outspoken pacifists of his time.
18:31Mark David Chapman was a devoted fan, but resented what he saw as the hypocrisy in the wealthy pop star's humanitarianism.
18:38The Christian convert was also offended by Lennon's famously misinterpreted more popular than Jesus comment.
18:43If you give me the opportunity, I will do it.
18:49After months of planning, Chapman flew to New York City, followed Lennon into his apartment complex, and shot him four times in the back.
18:57This tragedy has become recognized as a defining symbol of violence in the modern age.
19:02Chapman himself now deeply regrets his actions.
19:05He also admits to his true motivation for such high-profile violence.
19:09To achieve his own fame.
19:11What do you make of these stories?
19:13Let us know in the comments below.
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