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The Voice star Ryan Whyte Maloney’s family is in mourning at the news of his death on Tuesday, January 28.
Ryan died by suicide after fatally shooting himself in the head, as confirmed by officials in Las Vegas.
The 44-year-old was enjoying Sin City with his fiance when things took a fatal turn during a heated argument.
Ryan was a contestant on The Voice in Season 6, impressing the judges with his singing and guitar-playing skills.
Usher, Adam Levine, Shakira, and Blake Shelton all spun their chairs for Ryan during the blind auditions.
However, it was Blake’s team that ultimately took him to the top five in the competition.
After his appearance on the show, Ryan continued to pursue a music career, but that has now been cut short by his untimely death.
The Voice star Ryan Whyte Maloney’s cause of death revealed
The Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner confirmed to PEOPLE that Ryan Whyte Maloney died by suicide in Las Vegas, Nevada, due to a gunshot wound to the head.
TMZ shared the details of Ryan’s death, as noted in the police report.
A seemingly drunk Ryan and his girlfriend were driving in Las Vegas after leaving the New York-New York Hotel and Casino early Tuesday morning when the incident took place.
At one point, The Voice alum got into a heated argument with his fiancee when she questioned him about the whereabouts of her jacket.
According to the Las Vegas police, Ryan called her a “b**ch” before grabbing a handgun from the glove compartment, then got out of the vehicle and took off on foot.
His fiancee heard a gunshot in the distance and then a second shot.
She ran after Ryan and “watched his body collapse to the ground…with a bullet wound to the head.”
She called 911, and when police arrived on the scene, Ryan was pronounced dead.
Ryan’s suicide was captured on surveillance videos
The police report states that surveillance videos also captured Ryan’s tragic shooting.
The New York-New York Hotel, where he was staying, and the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino captured camera footage.
According to police, the singer had previously contemplated suicide and had slash marks on his arms, indicating he had tried to harm himself.
Ryan is the second The Voice alum involved in shooting incidents in the past few months. In November 2024, Season 11 winner Sundance Head, also coached by Blake Shelton, was shot at his Texas Ranch.
However, the country singer has since recovered from his injury.
The Voice Season 27 premieres on Monday, February 3, at 8/7c on NBC.