Rapper Juice Wrld allegedly swallowed pills to avoid feds before fatal seizure
Rapper Juice Wrld performs at the 2019 Rolling Loud Music Festival on Day 2 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on September 29, 2019 in Oakland, California. (Steve Jennings/FilmMagic)
CHICAGO (KTVU) - Budding rap star Juice Wrld, might have swallowed a bunch of pain medication before he died on Sunday, sources tell TMZ.
The 21-year-old rapper, whose real name is Jarad Higgens, may have ingested Percocet pills in an attempt to hide them from the feds who searched his private jet after it landed at Chicago Midway International Airport, according to the news outlet.
The pilot flying Higgin's plane alerted authorities on the ground that there were guns on board, which is against federal regulations.
FBI and FAA agents were waiting for Higgins and his entourage once they landed and seized three guns and 70 pounds of marijuana from several suitcases on the plane.
Higgins suffered a seizure at the airport and was transported to a hospital where he was pronounced dead around 3:15 a.m. Sunday.
A federal agent administered the opioid antidote Narcan to the performer, who briefly woke up incoherent but later died, authorities said.
Authorities have not released details about his cause of death. According to the Associated Press, an autopsy was completed Monday but the toxicology test results were still pending, the medical examiner's office said. Foul play is not suspected in his death.
Juice WRLD, who was named top new artist at the 2019 Billboard Music Awards in May, lived in the Chicago suburb of Homewood where he stood out as a musician early on.
Two security guards for Juice WRLD face misdemeanor gun charges after authorities responded to Midway Airport.
The guards had valid concealed-carry permits, but they don’t allow them to bring weapons to an airport, so they were arrested and charged with misdemeanor gun violations.