Gunman killed in South SF police standoff ID'd as founding guitarist of metal band, Possessed
(KRON) — The gunman killed in a standoff with South San Francisco police earlier this week has been identified as the founding guitarist for influential Bay Area death metal band, Possessed. The South San Francisco Police Department identified the gunman as Brian Montana, aged 60.
Montana was an original member of Possessed, a pioneering American death metal band. Although Montana left the band in 1985 — to be replaced by future Primus guitarist Larry LaLonde — the band confirmed his death in an Instagram post Wednesday.
While Possessed's initial run was relatively short — they formed in 1983 and disbanded in 1987 — they are often referred to as the godfathers of death metal, according to AllMusic.
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After initially disbanding, Possessed has reformed on numerous occasions, most recently in 2017. 'Relations of Oblivion,' the band's first new music in decades, was released in 2019.
On Monday, a man later identified as Montana, became involved in a standoff with South San Francisco PD around 5:50 p.m. on the 300 block of Arroyo Drive.
Over the next 25 minutes, the suspect armed himself with three different types of firearms (handgun, shotgun, and rifle) and fired at officers from different locations within the driveway while seeking cover and concealment using both vehicles in the driveway and landscaping.
Officers used police vehicles as cover from the barrage of gunfire and were able to return fire. Officers were able to strike the suspect, effectively preventing him from continued shooting at officers and nearby residences
One resident told KRON4 that the incident stemmed from a dispute over tree trimmings falling over a neighbor's yard.
'Rest In Peace Brian Montana,' read a post on Possessed's official Instagram account.
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