VIDEO: Death Toll Increased to 9 in Fatal Crash That Killed Kobe Bryant and Daughter Gianna
By Sam Dunn
It will be a long time still before we are able to come to grips with what happened on the 26th day of 2020. Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter, Gigi, are no longer with us after losing their lives in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California. It was originally reported that five individuals perished in the accident, but Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said Sunday afternoon in an official public statement that the death toll is now nine.
“It would be extremely disrespectful to understand that your loved one has perished and you learn about it from TMZ. That is just ... wholly inappropriate so we’re not going to be going there.”
— Jordan Dajani (@JordanDajani) January 26, 2020
Sheriff Alex Villanueva on Kobe Bryant helicopter crash. pic.twitter.com/Xkz1PjzYZs
We've seen a flood of conflicting reports throughout the day concerning the details of this tragedy, and we still don't have the unabridged, official story. There's still more to learn, including the confirmed identities of all the victims aboard Bryant's helicopter.
BREAKING:
— Jory Rand (@ABC7Jory) January 26, 2020
Sheriff Alex Villanueva says 9 people were on board the helicopter that crashed, killing Kobe Bryant and his daughter. All 9 people were killed. @ABC7
What we know already, however, is how painful these coming days, weeks, and months are going to be.
In order to properly respect the victims, we will not be wildly speculating about any of their identities.