BMX icon Dave Mirra dead at 41 in apparent suicide: police

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[February 05, 2016]    (Reuters) - BMX bike icon Dave Mirra died on Thursday after apparently shooting himself, police said.

Mirra, 41, was found dead in a truck in Greenville, North Carolina where he lived at about 4 p.m., the Greenville Police Department said in a statement.

"We mourn the loss today of a great friend and wonderful human being who touched the lives of so many around the world with his gift," Greenville Mayor Allen Thomas said in the statement.

Mirra, a BMX biking pioneer, won 14 gold, six silver and four bronze medals in ESPN's X Games from 1995 to 2009. His 24 medals tie him for the second most of all time, according to the network.

"Goodbye Dave Mirra, a true pioneer, icon and legend. Thank you for the memories ... we are heartbroken," professional skateboarder Tony Hawk posted to Twitter on Thursday evening.

The husband and father of two daughters also competed in Rally Car racing and triathlons and was a host of MTV's "Real World/Road Rules Challenge," according to ESPN.

(Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Editing by Stephen Coates)

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