Death metal guitarist and former Possessed band member Brian Montana shot dead by police after row over tree clippings

Death metal guitarist Brian Montana - who shot to fame in the music world with his band Possessed - has been shot dead by police after a row over tree clippings. The 60-year-old was killed after the dispute, near his south San Francisco home.

The fatal drama unfolded at around 6pm on Monday (April 28) evening, when police were called to the property amid reports Montana had brandished a weapon at his neighbour.

Once on the scene, police said Montana "fired multiple times at officers using a handgun, shotgun, and rifle", adding: "Officers used patrol cars as cover and returned fire. The suspect was struck and ultimately pronounced deceased at the scene."

The San Francisco Chronical reported how the police said the guitarist was "enraged" over debris from a nearby tree. When officers arrived, a shootout developed, reports said, after Montana at one point returning to his gardening after firing at a neighbouring property.

A second person was injured in the incident, authorities said, but was expected to survive. No police officers were injured, but those who fired their weapons have been placed on administrative leave as per official rules.

After news of the incident broke, Possessed posted on social media, sharing an image of the late musician with the caption, "Rest In Peace Brian Montana". Possessed is well known in the metal scene, boasting more than 195,000 Instagram followers, and currently on touring in support of their album Revelations of Oblivion.

Montana was in the band for around two years before being replaced by Larry LaLonde in 1985, as they built a growing reputation among music lovers in the Bay Area, alongside the likes of Metallica, Death Angel and Testament.

However, the Possessed name has been plagued with tragic shootings. Singer Jeff Becerra was left paralyzed from the waist down after being shot in 1989. In 2019, the vocalist recounted to The Underground Metal Gamer how he was caught in the crossfire of a robbery at a shop as he went to buy cigarettes, saying: "It wasn't so much of an accident - I got shot by two different guns in a robbery. I was doing concrete construction."