Juice Wrld’s Cause of Death Revealed

Rapper Juice Wrld‘s cause of death has been revealed, more than a month after his passing on Dec 8. 

According to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office, the young rapper—who had just celebrated his 21st birthday six days before his death—died as a result of oxycodone and codeine toxicity. The manner of death is accidental. 

The Chicago-based hip hop star had flown from California to Chicago’s Midway Airport and suffered a seizure in the terminal soon after landing , TMZ reported at the time. Parademics transported him to a local hospital and E! News confirmed that the rapper was pronounced dead at Advocate Christ Medical Center at 3:14 a.m. 

Chicago police also told E! News that the rapper, born Jared Anthony Higgins, suffered a medical emergency and was transported to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.

On Monday, Dec. 9, Anthony Guglielmi, Chief Communications Officer for Chicago Police Department, shared details about circumstances surrounding Juice Wrld’s death, via NBC News. 

According to Guglielmi, police and federal agents awaited inside the Atlantic Aviation hangar for the rapper’s flight to arrive from Los Angeles at 1:30 a.m. Sunday morning, following suspicions that he was in possession of contraband. Further, the rapper and his entourage were intercepted by the police department and FBI officials as they entered the lobby of the hangar. 

 Chicago police also said they were notified by federal agents while the plane was in the air that “weapons and narcotics” were suspected to be on board. Following a search of luggage aboard the jet found 41 “vacuum-sealedt” bags—or 70 pounds—of marijuana and six bottles of prescription codeine cough syrup. Investigators also confirmed that two 9mm pistols and a third gun were found. 

According to officers, it was around this time that the rapper began convulsing. He was then administered two doses of Narcan and police said Juice Wrld eventually woke up but was still incoherent and bleeding from the mouth. 

No drug charges have yet been filed against any of the rapper’s entourage and people who were on the flight. The marijuana and codeine was found in suitcases that didn’t have name tags on them. An investigation remains ongoing and it will remain a Chicago case, not federal. 

When the news of his death broke, many celebrities including Lil Yachty, Travis Scott, Chance the Rapper and others took to social media to mourn his death. 

“Juice made a profound impact on the world in such a short period of time,” the record company that the “Lucid Dreams” rapper signed with in 2008, Interscope Geffen A&M Records, said in a statement to E! News. “He was a gentle soul, whose creativity knew no bounds, an exceptional human being and artist who loved and cared for his fans above everything else. To lose someone so kind and so close to our hearts is devastating. Our thoughts are with Juice’s family and friends, everyone at his label Grade A, and his millions of fans around the world.”

A private funeral was held in Illinois on Dec. 13.