It’s been nearly five years since the death of beloved rapper Juice WRLD. On December 8, 2019, just six days after his 21st birthday, he suffered an unknown medical emergency shortly after landing at Chicago’s Midway International Airport. He was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. Initial reports claimed he died after a seizure. But an autopsy would later reveal otherwise. A little after a month following his death, the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office determined his death was caused by an accidental overdose of oxycodone and codeine. TMZ also reported on the cause of death.
According to the report from TMZ, the rapper was subjected to a drug bust at Midway Airport in Chicago. The pilot of the plane reportedly alerted authorities due to members of Juice WRLD‘s entourage having guns on them. During the bust, over 70 pounds of vacuum-sealed marijuana, six bottles of prescription codeine cough syrup, and two 9 mm pistols were discovered on the plane. Two of his bodyguards were arrested.
Onlookers believed the rapper swallowed a bunch of Percocet pills in an attempt to hide them from the feds. A nearby federal agent administered the opioid antidote Narcan. He did suffer seizures, which contributed to the fatality.
The rapper’s mother, Carmella Wallace, told TMZ that her son had substance abuse issues and hoped his death would be a cautionary tale. Juice WRLD also rapped about his struggles, including abusing lean. Months before his death in July 2021, he tweeted that he would stop abusing codeine to save his relationship with his girlfriend.
His mother’s full statement to the media read: “We loved Jarad with all of our hearts and cannot believe our time with him has been cut short. As he often addressed in his music and to his fans, Jarad battled with prescription drug dependency. Addiction knows no boundaries and its impact goes way beyond the person fighting it. Jarad was a son, brother, grandson, friend and so much more to so many people who wanted more than anything to see him defeat addiction. We hope the conversations he started in his music and his legacy will help others win their battles as that is what he wanted more than anything.”