6 Strange Details About Juice WRLD’s Tragic 2019 Death That Still Concern Fans
Rest in peace, Juice WRLD.
Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock It has been over two years since the tragically sudden death of rapper Juice WRLD and with the release of a new HBO documentary, “Juice WRLD: Into The Abyss,” exploring his final years, many bewildering questions about his death remain.
Juice WRLD, whose real name was Jarad Anthony Higgins, died on December 8, 2019 shortly after his private jet landed at Chicago’s Midway International Airport.
His passing shock his many fans, and is still a tough topic for many to this day.
How did Juice WRLD die?
The official cause of death, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office, was an accidental overdose of codeine and oxycodone.
After suffering a seizure in the airport, the rapper died while being transported to a hospital.
But conflicting reports and witness accounts have left the exact details of Juice WRLD’s death somewhat hazy for fans.
Here are 6 shocking details about Juice WRLD’s death.
1. Police were waiting for Juice WRLD’s plane when it landed in Chicago.
Law enforcement agents had been waiting at the Atlantic Aviation hangar at Midway because they suspected the private plane from Los Angeles carrying the musician was carrying contraband, sources said.
Law enforcement detained Juice WRLD and his entourage and searched their belongings shortly after the plane landed which is when the rapper’s medical emergency occured.
2. Reports claimed Juice WRLD took a ‘handful of pills’ before his death.
Several outlets insinuated that the rapper had taken the narcotics to avoid being detected by the federal agents.
However, police found no witness who admitted to seeing this happen. Equally, the rapper’s girlfriend, Ally Lotti, who was present at the time has denied these claims.
3. Juice WRLD’s team were being held in handcuffs when his seizures began.
Juice WRLD’s girlfriend at the time of his death, Ally Lotti, has said that one of the reasons the rapper’s team were unable to get him medical attention was because they were handcuffed while he was convulsing.
A police sergeant helping federal agents had everyone handcuffed “for officer safety until the people calmed down,” a police report said.
Allegedly, this was due to an angry scene that erupted where the group was being held.
“Several people inside the lobby became irate and belligerent,” according to one report.
4. Ally Lotti claimed law enforcement did not help Juice WRLD.
In an Instagram live in which she recalled her boyfriend’s death, Lotti said “no one helped” when Juice WRLD started having seizures.
She explains that one person did administer Narcan, this has been confirmed by other reports that state a Department of Homeland Security agent gave him two shots of the medication used to treat an opioid overdose.
Reports have stated that Lotti did tell authorities Juice WRLD takes Percocet, a painkiller, and “has a drug problem.”
No other reports have explained or mentioned whether authorities were slow to act when Juice WRLD began having seizures.
5. Two of Juice WRLD’s security guards were arrested on the day of his death.
The arrests occurred after a search of the private jet and the team’s luggage turned up 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, according to sources.
Christopher Long was arrested and charged with one misdemeanor count of carrying and possessing a firearm in the first degree.
Harry Dean was charged with one misdemeanor count of carrying a concealed firearm in an airport and a second misdemeanor count of sale and/or possession of a high capacity magazine and metal piercing bullets.
Juice WRLD’s death was determined to not have involved foul play, thus these arrests are not related to his passing.
6. There are conflicting opinions on whether Juice WRLD was suffering from mental health issues before his death.
This has been another source of debate as those close to the rapper have conflicting stories about his mental health before his death.
On Instagram Live, Lotti denied that her boyfriend was feeling down or sad on the day of his death.
Dean, a member of Juice WRLD’s security team who witnessed his seizures, told police that the ‘Lucid Dreams’ singer was “in a depressed state,” adding that the rapper “took a lot of Percocet.”
Juice WRLD’s mother has also been outspoken about her son’s mental health issues and says she hopes his death will be a lesson to others to “know that you don't have to suffer alone."
Addiction and mental health issues were central topics in Juice WRLD’s music so it is possible his mother was referring to the rapper’s long-term battle rather than what he was experiencing on the day of his death.
Alice Kelly is a senior news and entertainment editor for YourTango. Based out of Brooklyn, New York, her work covers all things social justice, pop culture, and human interest. Keep up with her Twitter for more.