Terry Kath

Terry Kath, born in Chicago, Illinois on January 31, 1946, was the original guitarist, vocalist and founding member (along with Walter Parazaider, Danny Seraphine and Lee Loughnane) of the band Chicago. He died on January 23, 1978 in a freak self-inflicted accident (see below).

Death

Kath died of an self-inflicted gunshot wound, when he attended a party. Just for the thrill, he took a semi-automatic gun and removed the magazine. To prove that the gun was not loaded, he pointed it into the air and pulled the trigger. However, he forgot that a semi-automatic gun has a built-in safety feature that prevents the discharge of a chambered round, if the magazine is removed. (This is why the chamber should always be checked visually.) Upon reinserting the magazine, he put the gun to his temple and pulled the trigger. Unfortunately, with the magazine reinserted, the chambered round discharged and killed him. His tragicomic suicide has brought him a place in the notorious Darwin Awards.

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