Rapper Juice Wrld reportedly ‘popped several pills’ before suffering a fatal seizure at Chicago’s Midway airport on Sunday morning, law enforcement sources have said
Late rapper Juice Wrld reportedly began convulsing and went into cardiac arrest as law enforcement searched luggage from his private jet for guns and drugs at a hangar inside Chicago’s Midway Airport on Sunday.
Police and federal agents had been waiting inside the Atlantic Aviation hangar for the 21-year-old’s flight to arrive from Los Angeles at 1:30am yesterday morning, following suspicions the musician was in possession of contraband, the Chicago Tribune reported.
As officers began sifting through his and his entourage’s suitcases, the up and coming star – real name Jarad Higgins – began ‘convulsing [and] going into a seizure’, law enforcement sources told the outlet.
An agent is then said to have administered Higgins two doses of Narcan, an emergency treatment used when an opioid overdose is suspected.
Higgins eventually woke up but was incoherent and bleeding from the mouth, police said. He’s understood to have been conscious when he was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn but was pronounced dead just an hour later.
According to law enforcement, members of Higgins’ entourage said the ‘Lucid Dreams’ star had taken ‘several unknown pills’ moments before falling ill, TMZ reported.
The search of luggage aboard the jet yielded 70 pounds – or 41 ‘vacuum-sealed’ bags – of marijuana and six bottles of prescription codeine cough syrup, which contains opioids
Juice Wrld (seen right aboard the jet) is said to have suffered from a Percocet ‘problem’ and had taken ‘several unknown pills’ moments before falling ill
A search of luggage aboard the jet yielded 41 ‘vacuum-sealed’ bags – or 70 pounds – of marijuana and six bottles of prescription codeine cough syrup, which contains opioids.
Investigators also confirmed that two 9mm pistols, a .40-caliber pistol, a high-capacity ammunition magazine and metal-piercing bullets were also found.
One of the rapper’s friends told TMZ that Higgins suffered from a Percocet ‘problem’ and would regularly consume the highly-addictive opioid, which can have fatal side-effects when mixed with alcohol or other substances.
For now, it remains unclear whether the drugs played a role in Higgins’ sudden passing, with a specific cause of death yet to be determined by officials.
An autopsy is slated to be carried out by the Cook County Medical examiner later Monday.
The rapper had been with around 10 or 12 people at the time of the fatal seizure, including his girlfriend Ally Lotti and his two security guards, Henry Dean, 27, of Chicago, and Christopher Long, 36, of California.
Both Long and Dean were arrested by the Chicago Police Department at the airport after they were found to be in possession of the three guns found in the search, in addition to a high-capacity magazine and metal-piercing bullets.
Two 9mm pistols and the high-capacity magazine were taken from Dean, police said. A .40-caliber pistol was suspected to be the property of Long.
Dean was charged with carrying a concealed firearm at an airport and possessing a high-capacity magazine and metal-piercing bullets, police said. He had a permit to carry a gun in Illinois, but weapons are banned from being carried in airports.
Long, meanwhile, was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm. They are both due in court later this month.
No drug charges have yet been filed against any of the people on board the flight.
The marijuana and codeine was found in suitcases that didn’t have name tags on them and an investigation remains ongoing, police said.
Footage from social media from Chris Long’s instagram page shows the entourage stepping off from the plane in Chicago moments before being intercepting by police and federal agents waiting for them inside the Atlantic Aviation hangar
No drug charges have yet been filed against any of the people on board the flight. The marijuana and codeine were found in suitcases that didn’t have name tags on them
Higgins’ jet had flown from Fort Pierce Florida, to Van Nuys California on Saturday. It then departed on to Midway, with the performer scheduled to fly back to California to attend the Rolling Loud Festival in LA this Saturday.
He had flown back to his native Chicago for a belated birthday party taking place in his honor on Sunday night, Fox32 reported, having turned 21 just days earlier on December 2.
Chicago police say they were notified by federal agents while the plane was in the air that ‘weapons and narcotics’ were suspected to be on board the twin-engine Gulfstream jet.
Higgins and his entourage were intercepted by the police department and FBI officials as they entered the lobby of the hangar.
The rapper had been with around 10 or 12 people at the time of seizure, including girlfriend Ally Lotti, other associates, aircraft staff and two security guards, Henry Dean, 27, of Chicago, and Christopher Long, 36 (above), who was arrested on gun possession charges
A drug-sniffing dog made a ‘positive alert’ for bags on two luggage carts, the Tribune reported, where the marijuana and codeine was later discovered.
Dean then declared to police he was carrying the two pistols in addition to the high-capacity magazine. The third gun, believed to be Long’s, was found in a camera case along with personal items of his, though he denied ownership of the weapon.
It was at this time that Higgins began convulsing, officers say.
Police asked Lotti if he had any known medical issues or had taken any drugs.
Lotti told police her boyfriend didn’t suffer from any medical ailments but that he regularly takes Percocet and ‘has a drug problem’.
In June, Higgins publicly vowed to Lotti on Twitter that he would finally stop taking the painkiller codeine.
‘Bae I’m sorry I be tweaking, you’ve put up with more than ppl know I know I be scaring you, f**k Codeine I’m done,’ he wrote in the post. ‘I love you and im letting it be known publicly that ain’t s**t f***ing up the real love I found. Learn from this everyone. Addiction kills all but you can overcome.’
Higgins began convulsing as law enforcement recovered drugs and guns from luggage aboard the plane. Police asked his girlfriend Ally Lotti (shown above) if he had any known medical issues or had taken any drugs. Lotti told police her boyfriend didn’t suffer from any medical ailments but that he regularly takes Percocet and ‘has a drug problem’
In June, Higgins publicly vowed to Lotti on Twitter that he would finally stop taking the painkiller codeine
Higgins’ passing stunned fans and fellow artists alike when the news of his death first broke on Sunday morning.
Under his stage named Juice Wrld, Higgins enjoyed hits with Lucid Dreams in 2018 and All Girls Are the Same.
In his song Legends he rapped: ‘What’s the 27 Club? We ain’t making it past 21. I been going through paranoia.’
He also featured on Travis Scott’s AstroWorld album.
His Juice Wrld stage name was said to have been inspired by the 1992 film, Juice, starring Tupac Shakur.
On December 3 he tweeted his girlfriend Ally Lotti to say: ‘It’s us forever bb girl.’ He had earlier said he had had ‘one of the best birthdays ever’.
She last tweeted on December 6, writing: ‘you r enough’ and ‘where is your mind’.
Following the news of his death fellow rapper Killy tweeted Sunday morning: ‘Rest In Peace Juice Wrld.’
Fans also paid tribute, calling him a ‘legend’ and ‘one of the most talented and influential artists of the generation’.
Juice Wrld’s stage name was said to have been inspired by the 1992 film, Juice, starring Tupac Shakur. The rapper had only turned 21 just last week
In October of this year rock band Yellowcard announced they were suing Juice WRLD for $15 million for copyright infringement.
They claimed he copied melodic elements of their 2006 song Holly Wood Died for his breakthrough 2018 single Lucid Dreams.
Lucid Dreams is actually structured prominently around a sample of Sting’s 1993 song Shape Of My Heart.
On December 3 he tweeted his girlfriend Ally Lotti to say: ‘It’s us forever bb girl.’ He had earlier said he had had ‘one of the best birthdays ever’.
She last tweeted on December 6, writing: ‘you r enough’ and ‘where is your mind’.
Following the news of his death fans and celebrities paid tribute online, calling him a ‘legend
Following the news of his death fellow rapper Killy tweeted Sunday morning: ‘Rest In Peace Juice Wrld.’
Fans also paid tribute, calling him a ‘legend’ and ‘one of the most talented and influential artist of the generation’.
In October of this year rock band Yellowcard announced they were suing Juice WRLD for $15 million for copyright infringement.
They claimed he copied melodic elements of their 2006 song Holly Wood Died for his breakthrough 2018 single Lucid Dreams.
Lucid Dreams is actually structured prominently around a sample of Sting’s 1993 song Shape Of My Heart.