[Update: 2:45 p.m.:] Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva reported on Sunday afternoon, Jan. 26, that authorities believe there were nine people named in the manifest as aboard the helicopter that crashed in Calabasas on Sunday morning, killing retired basketball star Kobe Bryant. There were no survivors.
Numerous reports have also stated Bryant’s 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, was among those killed. Neither identity has been independently verified to The Malibu Times.
As of 2:45 p.m., road closures remained in effect in Calabasas: all lanes of Las Virgenes Road were closed from Lost Hills Road Agoura Road. All lanes of Agoura Road were closed between Liberty Canyon Road and Lost Hills Road.
[12:10 p.m.] Sources including TMZ, ABC7 and the LA Times have reported Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant was killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas on Sunday morning, Jan. 26.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) Malibu/Lost Hills Station reported an aircraft crash in Calabasas on Sunday, with LA County Fire Department (LACoFire) personnel dispatched at 9:49 a.m. According to the Los Angeles County Fire Department, the crash took place near the intersection of Las Virgenes Road and Willow Glen Street. The aircraft was later confirmed to have been a helicopter, although preliminary reports to The Malibu Times could not confirm the make or model.
LACoFire dispatch supervisor Art Marrujo said, as of 11:52 a.m., there were no survivors in the crash.
“Yes, the number [of fatalities] is anywhere form one and five and our incident commander is trying to sort that out,” Marrujo said in a phone interview with The Malibu Times on Sunday. According to an LASD social media post, there were five confirmed fatalities.
There was no official confirmation as to the identity of the victims, although multiple sources stated fatalities included former Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant.
Kobe Bryant retired from his 20-year career with the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 2016.
The National Weather Service had posted warnings on social media Saturday evening and Sunday morning reporting “gusty wind” and “dense fog” in Ventura and Los Angeles counties.
Officials from both LACoFire and LASD remained on scene into the afternoon; Marrujo said coroner’s officials had been requested but was not able to confirm if they had arrived.
The helicopter crash also sparked a “small brush fire,” Marrujo said, which was soon extinguished.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
