Police Confirm Stephen Collins Is Alive Following Gunshot Report

The LAPD has confirmed that actor Stephen Collins is alive, despite reports late last night that he had committed suicide. The news comes after neighbors and a local ABC news crew reported hearing a single gunshot coming from the embattled star's Tarzana home.

Early yesterday, news broke that the 7th Heaven patriarch had confessed to molesting underage girls. Collins was promptly fired from Ted 2, and media have been camped outside his home.

It's unclear who first reported the alleged gunshot. Police responded to the scene, but found nothing suspicious. Collins was not at home.

In the melee, however, several tweets went out saying that the 67-year-old actor had committed suicide by gunshot. Among those sharing the news was former Baywatch star Donna D'Errico, who lives nearby. She later deleted the tweet, then apologized for spreading the rumor without first confirming its veracity.

The uptake is that Collins is still alive and unharmed — and that we should all be very wary of what gets reported on Twitter. (USA Today)