Randy ‘Savage’ Tillim was not only the host of his ‘Savage Garage’ sports car YouTube channel but was also the founder and CEO of Clarus Merchant Services. Known more for his exotic car collection, Randy’s untimely death at the cusp of his career is one of the recent tragedies to strike the supercar community.
Moreover, the mysterious circumstances under which he met his death have left his fans without proper closure to let the matter go fully. But in keeping with the statement of his family, Randy Tillim’s death was nothing more than an unfortunate accident.
Randy Tillim’s unexpected death on April 15, 2022, occurred only a few days after he held the Savage Rally
Randy Tillim passed away on the night of April 15, 2022, at 51 years old. He is survived by his wife, Ana, and two children, Jack and Ryan. The Savage Garage team announced his death in a statement posted on Instagram on April 17 that read:
“It is with the utmost sadness and unimaginable grief that we must inform you that Randy ‘Savage’ Tillim passed away last night, Friday, April 15th.”
The cause of his death was not disclosed in the statement as it further read:
“This tragedy is beyond measure. Randy was the most kind, generous, and genuine person we ever knew. He had a positive impact on everyone he met, and his legacy will live on forever. Randy will always be remembered as a true friend and an icon. He will be greatly missed,”
Randy’s unexpected death came only days after he had just held the Savage Rally where he seemed to be in good health and in high spirits with his family and friends. As a result, messages of condolences and shock poured in from fans and known figures in the car community.
Alex Choi, fellow supercar YouTuber, and Randy’s close friend who had appeared in the Savage Rally posted a video in tribute to his death, saying:
“The world has lost a seriously charitable and selfless man who always takes care of others before taking care of himself. And I lost my dearest friend, my biggest motivation, my mentor, and someone who has always taught me to be better, kind, and just selfless throughout the short time I was a small part of his life.”
Emerging details later evidenced that Randy died in his home from an accidental rifle shot wound
The mystery surrounding Randy’s nature of death sparked speculations of a possible suicide or automobile accident. Nonetheless, it soon came to light that a ‘tragic accident’ had taken his life.
As per YouTuber Aaron Palos’s coverage of Randy’s death on his channel ‘Life of Palos’, Savage Garage’s management team confirmed that Randy had been involved in an accident. He said:
“I was able to talk to Rachel from the Savage Garage team and confirm that it was a very unfortunate accident that led to Randy passing away and also to ask you guys and the car community not to speculate about the cause. The family will, at some point in the coming weeks and months, talk about the details of this if they choose to.”
Though the accident was not specified, additional details emerged from a 911 dispatch call made by Ana on the night of April 15th. The call established that Randy had sustained a shot wound from a rifle and died in his home at Piney Meetinghouse Road, Maryland.
The 911 dispatcher can be heard relaying the information as: “Ana is the caller. It will be for her husband who just shot himself, a 50-year-old male. Not conscious, not breathing… and it was done by a rifle. The victim was in the closet.”
While some reports state that he was shot in the head, others dispute that it was a shot to the chest. It is not known whether the shot was accidental or an act of suicide as the report on Gun Violence Archive notes the cause of Randy’s death as either murder, accidental, or suicide.
Ana Terrasa-Tillim said that the family was “still trying to pick up the pieces” after Randy’s death in her first public statement
The Tillim family took their time to address Randy’s death and did not release any statement for two weeks following the incident. But on April 27, Ana, who had been married to Randy for almost three decades, broke the silence in an Instagram video posted on Savage Garage’s account.
“We are all shattered and devastated. It has been a very, very difficult time. I have lost my husband of 29 years, my children lost their father and we are trying very hard to get through each day and continue. As you can imagine, this has been extremely difficult for my entire family, his parents, my kids, and everybody,” she said.
Understandably, Ana did not mention the cause of his death and implored everyone associated with Savage Garage to respect their wish for privacy and “not post anything that uses Randy’s content or likeness until further notice”.
She also said that the family was still grieving and had no plans yet for service or celebration of life. She ended her statement on a sentimental note, saying:
“I appreciate so much of the outpouring of love and the condolences from everyone. It is very obvious and evident that Randy was very well-loved and he touched so many lives. He is going to be terribly missed, so thank you so much, we appreciate all your thoughts and prayers. It means so much to us. And as Randy always said, “Stay savage”.”
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