Deaths

The newest internet challenge has already led to 4 fatalities. Simple safety can prevent it.

John Servati, a member of the University of Alabama swimming and diving team, died Monday night at DCH Regional Medical Center as a result of injuries sustained at a house off campus during the storms that swept through the Tuscaloosa area. He was 21 years old.

Shirley Temple, an iconic child star and the former US ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia, died February 10 in her home in California surrounded by her family and caregivers. She was 85.

Philip Seymour Hoffman, a towering icon of modern cinema, was found dead in his Manhattan apartment today according to the Wall Street Journal and New York Post. He was 46 years old.

Tom Clancy, the writer of numerous popular military thrillers, died on Wednesday morning at age 66.

Very sad news to report, especially for fans of crime fiction and wonderful writers in general: Elmore Leonard, the author best known for books such as 'Get Shorty,' 'Out of Sight' and 'Jackie Brown' (all of which were adapted into fantastic films, of course), has died at the age of 87.