title: Celebrity traumatic deaths: are gangster rappers really "gangsta"?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Celebrity injury-related deaths are a common topic of conversation and receive wide media coverage. Despite stereotypes and broad generalizations, it is unclear if the mechanisms of demise echo those of the general population. The objective of this study was to evaluate the epidemiology underlying celebrity traumatic deaths.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated all known injury-related deaths in celebrities (musicians, athletes, actors, politicians and celebrity socialites) that occurred between Jan. 1, 2000, and Sept. 1, 2011. Exclusion criteria were drug/alcohol overdoses and suicides. We used standard statistical methodology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 389 celebrities who died because of their injuries, motor vehicle collisions remained the most common mechanism overall. Rappers and politicians had a higher proportion of deaths due to interpersonal violence than all other celebrities. Gunshot wounds were most common in these cohorts (83% and 63%, respectively). Rappers and athletes also died at a younger mean age than other celebrities. Sport-related deaths were most common in boxing and mixed martial arts. Additional mechanisms included airplane crashes, animal interactions and recreational activities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite occasionally exotic scenarios, most celebrities die of injury mechanisms similar to those of the general population. It is also apparent that rappers and politicians die by violent means at young and middle ages, respectively, more commonly than all other celebrities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, the University of Calgary, Foothills Medical Centre, Calgary, Alta. ball.chad@gmail.com
authors.forename: Chad G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Ball
authors.forename: Elijah
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dixon
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Parry
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Salim
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pasley
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Inaba
authors.forename: Andrew W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Kirkpatrick
mesh_terms: D000060:Accidents, Aviation / Q000401:mortality; D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000401:mortality; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000401:mortality; D002423:Cause of Death; D005197:Famous Persons; D006708:Homicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000401:mortality; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000401:mortality