Tom Petty dead: How an LAPD source caused mass confusion with an early death report

CBS prematurely confirmed the death, leading to other publications doing so

Tom Petty was found unconscious at his home in California (Getty Images)

Legendary artist Tom Petty has died aged 66, his family has confirmed.

Before passing away, there was a large amount of confusion online over whether Petty had died.

Monday (2 October), TMZ reported around 8pm BST that Petty had been rushed to hospital and found unconscious on Sunday (1 October).

Around 9pm BST, CBS News reported the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) had revealed that Petty had passed away, the family having decided to turn off life support.

Following the initial confirmation, various publications — including The Independent — reported the death, citing CBS. However, as these reports began breaking, the LAPD released a statement saying there was no confirmation that Petty had died.

The statement read: “The LAPD has no information about the passing of singer Tom Petty. Initial information was inadvertently provided to some media sources.

“However, the LAPD has no investigative role in this matter. We apologise for any inconvenience in this reporting.”

At this stage, there was much confusion online, the publications who had reported the initial death beginning to change headlines from ‘confirmed’ to various other iterations. CBS News ran with: 'LAPD clarifies it cannot confirm Tom Petty's death'.

Many fans had already begun paying tribute, including Bob Dylan, who was asked for comment by Rolling Stone, telling the magazine: “It’s shocking, crushing news. I thought the world of Tom. He was great performer, full of the light, a friend, and I’ll never forget him.”

Hours after the confusion began, Petty’s family confirmed the singer’s death at 4.40am BST this morning (3 October). Tony Dimitriades — longtime manager of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers — wrote on their behalf: "We are devastated to announce the untimely death of of our father, husband, brother, leader and friend Tom Petty.

“He suffered cardiac arrest at his home in Malibu in the early hours of this morning and was taken to UCLA Medical Center but could not be revived. He died peacefully at 8:40pm PT [4.40am BST] surrounded by family, his bandmates and friends.”

Petty was born in Gainesville, FL, on 20 October 1950. The singer was best known for performing with The Heartbreakers, releasing several hits including ‘Free Fallin’, ‘Listen to Her Heart’ and ‘American Girl’. Tributes for the icon have been posted online by various fellow musicians, including Sheryl Crow, John Mayer, and Bon Jovi.