'Buckwild' star Shain Gandee dead at 21

By Ree Hines, TODAY contributor

Updated at 5:06 p.m. ET: Shain Gandee, a star on the MTV reality program "Buckwild," has died, NBC affiliate WSAZ confirmed on Monday.

MTV

Shain Gandee.

The 21-year-old and his uncle, David Gandee, were reported missing on Sunday, according to the Kanawha County Sheriff's Office. The two were said to have been last seen at a Sissonville, W.Va., bar around 3 a.m., and they then planned to go four-wheeling.
According to Kanawha County Commission President Ken Carper, the bodies of Shain and two others were found in a truck in Sissonville on Monday.
The Kanawha County Sheriff's Office has identified the second person as 48-year-old David. There's no word yet on the identity of the third person.
Family members began to search for Shain and his uncle on Sunday before officially reporting them missing.
Shain, along with "Buckwild" co-star Shae Bradley, appeared on TODAY in January, to defend their then-new show from critics who feared their on-screen antics would reinforce negative stereotypes about West Virginians.

Shain's defense of the show now strikes a sad tone. "You only live once, so live it up," he said.
Last month, MTV renewed the show for a second season. However, in the wake of Shain's death, production on the show has been suspended, a network spokesperson told The Clicker. No further details were available.
In a statement to TODAY, MTV said, "We are shocked and saddened by the terrible news about Shain Gandee, and those involved in this tragic incident. We are waiting for more information but at this time, our main concern is for the Gandee family and their friends. Our thoughts and prayers are with them. Shain had a magnetic personality, with a passion for life that touched everyone he met and we will miss him dearly."