Even though the internet rumor mill has been working overtime, Shawn (Murder Nova) from Street Outlaws is still alive and racing.
It is certainly not rare for reality television stars to encounter the occasional fake death rumor online.
But the cast members who have made a name for themselves on the super high-stakes show, Street Outlaws, seem to have these fake death rumors circling around them more often than most.
On paper, it is fairly understandable why fans would be quick to believe rumors that one of the Street Outlaws cast members – who regularly spend their time specially building cars that can fly down tracks at near sound-barrier speeds – has passed away.
But fortunately, these rumors often turn out to be completely false – just like in the case of Shawn Ellington (who you may know by his racing persona, ‘Murder Nova’).
Shawn is busy prepping for another season of No Prep Kings
While there have been a few rumors floating around the internet that Shawn passed away between seasons, we are happy to report that Shawn is still alive.
In fact, judging by Shawn’s most recent posts on social media, he is not only alive and well, but he is actually also busy gearing up for an all-new season of Street Outlaws: No Prep Kings, with his son, Aiden, and his wife, Erin, in tow.
On top of that, Shawn is also still running 187 Customs, his new-ish custom shop.
Shawn’s role in the Street Outlaws franchise
Street Outlaws is definitely one of the most beloved franchises to ever be featured on television, and even though the original series began all the way back in 2013, the show lives on through its various spin-offs.
And while Shawn did manage to make a name for himself as ‘Murder Nova’ in the original version of the series quite early on, he has been featured in quite a few of these spin-offs over the years, some of which include:
| Spin-off | Year |
| Street Outlaws: No Prep Kings | 2018 |
| Street Outlaws: Mega Cash Days | 2021 |
| Street Outlaws: OKC | 2023 |
Of course, Shawn also hosted the Chief and Shawn Show podcast, alongside his longtime friend, Big Chief.
On the show, the duo would share various behind-the-scenes details, updates and general information about the franchise regularly between 2015 and 2016.
The Street Outlaws franchise does not have the best reputation
The inherent danger and under-the-radar nature of street racing is what attracts most enthusiasts to the sport. However, this does mean that the Street Outlaws franchise has built up a somewhat horrible reputation over the years.
Not only have a few of the favorite racers had some nasty accidents on the show, but the show has also come under fire for its unsafe racing practices.
This includes instances like the now infamous 2015 spat when the National Hot Rod Association threatened to revoke the licenses of racers who chose to participate in the show and the more recent wrongful death lawsuit, which the family of the late racer, Ryan Fellows, filed against Warner Bros. Discovery and Lions Gate Entertainment after his death in 2022.
Are Shawn and Big Chief still friends?
If you are a longtime Street Outlaws fan, then you may remember the franchise’s iconic bromance between Big Chief and Shawn, which ultimately grinded to a halt when they decided to go their separate ways back in season six.
However, it seems like even though they have both gone down separate paths within the franchise since then, there are no hard feelings between these old friends.
In fact, Chief admitted in a 2022 interview with Limpy that he still had fond memories of “the good old days” when Street Outlaws was just starting out.
The build-up to next season
Whenever one season of a Street Outlaws ends, there are always a few questions about which racers will return for another season.
Fortunately, despite Shawn’s unyielding dedication to his family, it looks like he is nowhere near throwing in the street racing towel, just yet.
In fact, Shawn and the rest of the 187 Customs and Murder Nova seem to be making a few big plans for the upcoming 2024 season of No Prep Kings.
He has taken to Facebook to find some new helping hands who are willing to join their experienced team.
But, if waiting until the new, 2024 season of No Prep Kings feels entirely too long for you, you can always head on over to the 187 Customs YouTube channel where Shawn posts regular update videos which follow along as he builds, customizes and soups-up various new projects that make their way into his shop.
