TikTok star Cooper Noriega's family breaks silence on his death
LOS ANGELES - The family of late TikTok star Cooper Noriega has broken their silence following the 19-year-old's death.
"Hi everyone. On behalf of our family we want to thank you all for the kind words of our little coop," Noriega's sister Parker posted to the late influencer's Instagram account Saturday.
"His passing is an absolute tragedy to our family and loved ones. We pray that we all as a community can continue on his legacy. He loved each and everyone of you. Please feel free to reach out to us as we love feeling all the support. Bless you all… with love, his sister."
Noriega's father also posted a heartfelt tribute to his son on Facebook.
"I also want to share with you that today has been an incredibly difficult time for my family and me. We lost our beautiful 19 year old Cooper last evening," Harold Noriega wrote. "He was loved by so many and truly the love of Treva's, Parker's, and my life."
"There are no words to express the grief and loss. It's not supposed to be this way. Your child is not supposed to pass before his parents. Cooper has touched so many people.. My boy was a believer and I know he is in the presence of God. Thank you everyone. I love you all."
Noriega's mother Treva shared the heartbreaking news on Instagram, saying in part "My heart is forever broken."
"..your my special angel and we have each other's hearts," she wrote. "I know my mom was holding her arms out bringing you to Heaven. You are finally experiencing the most pure joy and happiness. I'll see you one day my baby boy… your momma."
According to Los Angeles County's coroner's office, Noriega was pronounced dead in the 500 block of North First Street in Burbank. According to a report from TMZ, the teen social media star was found unconscious in a mall parking lot in Burbank. Paramedics arrived at the scene but could not revive Noriega, TMZ reports.
Foul play is not suspected in the social media star's death, TMZ reports.
Noriega had a massive following on social media, racking up about 1.8 million followers on TikTok.
The cause of the teen's death has not been released.
Hours before he was found dead, Noriega posted a video of himself on his TikTok account, in which he wrote: "who else b thinking they gon d!€ young af"
Cooper had been transparent about his struggles with mental illness and substance abuse.
"I’ve been struggling with addiction since I was 9 years old, you may think that’s crazy but that’s the life I’ve been dealt," Cooper wrote via Instagram earlier this month. "I would like to use the influence I’ve been given to create a space built on spreading awareness and normalizing talking about mental illness."
On June 5, Noriega shared a TikTok video announcing that he was starting a group to talk about their experiences with mental health on Discord, a messaging platform.
He added, "One of the many things I’ve learned while struggling with addiction was that surrounding yourself with negative people will only bring you down. For that reason, Discord is meant to bring us all together and create a safe space where people can vent and help others through their tough times."
If you or anyone you know is facing substance abuse issues, call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357 for free and confidential information 24/7.