MTV.com: Hunter S. Thompson, the author who pioneered "gonzo" journalism and became an anti-establishment icon with his 1972 book "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," fatally shot himself at his home outside Aspen, Colorado, Sunday night, police said. He was 67. In a statement released to the Aspen Daily News, Thompson's son, Juan, confirmed that the writer had taken his own life. "On February 20, Dr. Hunter S. Thompson took his life with a gunshot to the head at his fortified compound in Woody Creek, Colorado. The family will provide more information ... shortly," the statement read. "Hunter prized his privacy and we ask that his friends and admirers respect that privacy as well as that of his family."