Juice WRLD death: Funeral held for Chicago-born rapper, fans hold memorial at the Bean
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chicago-born rapper Juice WRLD was laid to rest Friday.
A friend told ABC7 Eyewitness news a funeral service was held Friday for the 21-year-old at Holy Temple Cathedral Church of God in Christ in Harvey. Fans held a separate memorial for the musician at Cloud Gate, better known as the Bean, in downtown Chicago.
The up-and-coming rapper, born Jarad Higgins, died after suffering cardiac arrest at a private hangar at Midway Airport Sunday, authorities said. He reportedly had a seizure.
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An autopsy to determine the cause and manner of his death was inconclusive, and further test results are pending.
Chicago police said they were called to Midway Airport to assist federal authorities just after 1:30 a.m. Sunday after a private jet arrived at the airport they said contained a large quantity of narcotics.
Police said the plane's occupants were in the lobby with their luggage in two carts. K9 units from the Illinois State Police searched the luggage, and alerted officers to narcotics in two of the suitcases. Police said a search of the luggage turned up 41 bags of suspected marijuana and six prescription bottles of suspected liquid codeine, as well as three guns.
Police said none of the occupants of the plane would claim ownership of the luggage.
Police said it was during this time that Higgins suffered a medical emergency, which they described as a seizure. Police said a Homeland Security officer administered Narcan, but he was later pronounced dead.
Two men with Juice WRLD's entourage, one of whom identified himself as private security, were arrested and charged with misdemeanor gun offenses.
Higgins grew up in Chicago's south suburbs and graduated from Homewood Flossmoor High School in 2017.
Juice WRLD rose to fame off the back of his 2018 album "Goodbye and Good Riddance," which peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard 200. The lead single "Lucid Dreams" peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. He also won the "Top New Artist" Billboard award earlier this year.
He was known to work with artists such as Travis Scott and Lil Yachty.
Chicago rapper and activist Chance the Rapper said, "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."
Interscope Geffen A&M Records released a statement, saying "Juice made a profound impact on the world in such a short period of time. He was a gentle soul, whose creativity knew no bounds, an exceptional human being and artist who loved and cared for his fans above everything else. To lose someone so kind and so close to our hearts is devastating. Our thoughts are with Juice's family and friends, everyone at his label Grade A, and his millions of fans around the world."
