Death metal pioneer identified as gunman killed in South San Francisco police standoff
Brian Montana, an original guitarist for the pioneering Bay Area death metal band Possessed, was shot and killed by police in South San Francisco this week after a heated dispute with a neighbor turned into a prolonged and violent gun battle.
Montana, 60, was identified by authorities as the suspect involved in the standoff on Monday, April 28.
Police say the incident began when Montana became enraged over tree debris from a neighbor's yard and escalated into a shooting that left one resident injured and the neighborhood temporarily under lockdown.
Officers were dispatched to the 300 block of Arroyo Drive around 5:52 p.m. after multiple 911 calls reported an armed individual threatening a neighbor.
By the time backup arrived minutes later, Montana had already fired numerous rounds into the occupied residence and was using parked vehicles and landscaping for cover while exchanging gunfire with police for over 25 minutes
'The armed suspect repositioned into a neighboring driveway and fired multiple times at officers using a handgun, shotgun, and rifle,' the South San Francisco Police Department said in a statement. 'Officers used patrol cars as cover and returned fire. The suspect was struck and ultimately pronounced deceased at the scene.'
Montana was struck by return fire from two officers. Life-saving efforts at the scene were unsuccessful. The neighbor suffered a graze wound and was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
'Two officers discharged their weapons and have been placed on paid administrative leave per protocol,' police said. 'The incident is under investigation with the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office.'
Montana was a key figure in Possessed's early formation.
The musician joined the Bay Area band in 1983, responding to an ad for a guitarist placed by founding members Mike Torrao and Mike Sus.
He helped shape the group's raw sound during its garage days and played on its 'Death Metal' demo in 1984, a release that gave the genre its name.
Though Montana left the band before the recording of its seminal debut 'Seven Churches,' he was instrumental in its earliest gigs.
'After I joined the band, yes, we hung out together a lot,' Montana told Voices From the Darkside in an undated interview. 'I was the original guitarist besides Torrao, so when I joined we were still just a garage band; didn't even have our first gig yet. After we started playing the clubs, we bonded more and had a lot more fun with it.'
Possessed would go on to influence generations of metal acts.
Montana added, 'I left the band because Torrao had a terrible attitude problem and wouldn't stop ragging at me. He was like some senile old lady that just wouldn't shut up. He had a problem with my image. He didn't think I was evil enough or something. He was always ragging on me to wear an upside down crucifix and be satanic.'
In 1989, frontman Jeff Becerra was paralyzed in a separate shooting, and only in 2021 walked again with robotic assistance.
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