9 dead in helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant

A memorial to Kobe Bryant.
(Image credit: Rachel Luna/Getty Images)

There were nine people on board the helicopter that crashed in Calabasas, California, on Sunday morning, and all perished, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said Sunday afternoon. Legendary Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant, 41, and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, were on the helicopter, NBA officials confirmed.

Villanueva would not comment on the identities of the victims, saying it was "wholly inappropriate" to do so until next of kin are notified. He added that he would have "nothing" else to say on the matter until "the coroner does their job." Flight records show the helicopter, a Sikorsky S-76B built in 1991, left John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California, at 9:06 a.m., the Los Angeles Times reports.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.