Sophia Michaels
Jarad A. Higgins, better known as Juice Wrld, suddenly passed away on Dec. 8, 2019. The rapper’s death inspired mourning across the globe. An autopsy was recently performed on his body. The suddenness of his death raises a question: Was foul play involved?
Juice Wrld’s tragic passing
Yahoo Entertainment reports Juice Wrld collapsed at Midway Airport in Chicago. He arrived there via jet from Los Angeles. Law enforcement suspected his jet was carrying contraband. While officers searched, Juice Wrld had a seizure.
According to the Chicago Tribune, officers’ search led them to find “41 ‘vacuum-sealed’ bags of marijuana, six bottles of prescription codeine cough syrup, two 9 mm pistols, a .40-caliber pistol, a high-capacity ammunition magazine and metal-piercing bullets.” A medic revived Juice Wrld through doses of the drug Narcan. Juice Wrld was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center. At 3:14 a.m., he was pronounced dead.
Was there foul play?
Online, some fans speculated Juice Wrld may have been murdered. Such a crime would certainly have precedent. Many rappers have been killed, the two most famous being Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. More recently, XXXTentacion was gunned down in his prime.
Law enforcement has commented on the situation. Anthony Guglielmi of the Chicago Police Department said “There were no signs of foul play and all individuals aboard the aircraft are cooperating with CPD and have given all of their information.” The office of the Cook County Medical Examiner also weighed in on the rapper’s death, saying “Additional studies are required to establish the cause and manner of death for 21-year-old Jarad A. Higgins. Additional studies include cardiac pathology, neuropathology, toxicology and histology.”
Fans pay their respects
WGN9 reports fans mourned the rapper’s death through a vigil in Chicago’s Grant Park. Fans brought flowers and sang Juice Wrld’s songs to pay tribute to him. CBS LA reports fans held a similar vigil in Los Angeles at an exhibition called Sneakertopia. They chose the venue because Juice Wrld, a sneaker enthusiast, invested in the exhibit.
Juice Wrld’s former high school, Chicago’s Homewood-Flossmoor Community High School, also mourned the rapper’s passing in a statement. “Jarad Higgens was a 2017 graduate of Homewood-Flossmoor Community High School. He is remembered by his teachers and staff as being a brilliant and creative student. Jarad was extraordinarily talented in music and played many instruments.”
The statement continued “He was a caring and outgoing person who always tried to reach out to others while at the same time he was introspective and had a great sense of humor. Jarad connected with many staff and students…and he will be truly missed.”
Chance the Rapper, a fellow Chicagoan, payed tribute to Juice Wrld as well. On Instagram, he wrote “Millions of people, not just in Chicago but around the world are hurting because of this and don’t know what to make of it. Love you and God bless your soul.”
Written by: CheatSheet
