Fans of Juice Wrld no longer have to wonder what caused the beloved, young rapper to die on Dec. 8. The official cause of death was released by Natalia Derevyanny, the Director of Communications for the Cook Country Medical Examiner, on Jan. 22. “The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office has determined the cause and manner of death of 21-year-old Jarad A. Higgins,” the statement reads, referencing to Juice WRLD by his birth name. “The Office determined that Higgins died as a result of oxycodone and codeine toxicity. The manner of death is an accident. Higgins was pronounced dead on December 8, 2019, at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, Ill.”
Juice Wrld, born Jarad Anthony Higgins, was initially thought to have passed tragically after suffering a seizure. However, after initial reports came to light, the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office released a statement on Dec. 9, just one day after Juice’s death, that “additional studies are required to establish the cause and manner of death for 21-year-old Jarad A. Higgins,” Those additional studies they wanted to include were “cardiac pathology, neuropathology, toxicology, and histology. The cause and manner of death are pending at this time. The Office will release a statement when cause and manner of death are determined,” the statement concluded.
A number of elements, which weren’t initially known at the time, surfaced after Juice’s death, including his consumption of “unknown pills.” Juice had apparently been taking “Percocet and has a drug problem,” according to a report. Percocet is a prescription painkiller that contains a combination of the medicines acetaminophen and oxycodone. Additional law enforcement sources shared that members of his entourage aboard the flight claimed that Juice had ingested “several unknown pills” before suffering the seizure in the private jet terminal at the airport. At the same time, law enforcement awaited his arrival in Chicago to search his private jet for drugs and firearms.
Before police could make their search, Juice began to spontaneously convulsive, resulting in his death. Since passing, though, fans have been showing an outpouring of support and paying tribute to the late rapper. American Music Award winner Halsey gave a moving performance of their “Without Me” remix, which released in January 2019, while performing her set at the Pandora Live concert on Dec. 10. “I really want to play it tonight for him,” Halsey said to the crowd before performing the song. “Promise me to sing along loud?” Halsey asked them before performing the song to rousing applause.