TikTok star Cooper Noriega has died. He was 19.
Noriega was pronounced dead at the scene in a Burbank parking lot on Thursday evening, a Los Angeles Medical Examiner-Coroner spokesperson tells PEOPLE.
His cause of death has been deferred, which “means that after an autopsy, a cause of death has not been determined and the medical examiner is requesting more investigation.”
“Once the tests/studies come back, the doctor evaluates the case again and makes the cause of death determination,” the spokesperson added.
GoFundMe Cooper Noriega
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Barstool Sports’ BFFs podcast was the first to share the news on social media, posting a black-and-white photo of Noriega, who appeared on their BFFs podcast on June 1.
“RIP Cooper Noriega,” the tweet read. “Life is fragile. Enjoy every minute.”
Shortly before his death, he posted a video on TikTok, where he has over 1.7 million followers, with the caption, “Who else b thinking they gon die young af.”
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Four days before his death, Noriega announced on social media that he was creating a Discord server dedicated to discussing mental health, which he invited his followers to join.
“If you’re really into getting your emotions out, or whatever, come join,” he said in a TikTok video. “I created [the server] because of how much I love you guys and how much I struggle with it myself.”
“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,” he wrote in a separate post on Instagram. “One of the many things I’ve learnt while struggling with addiction was that surrounding yourself with negative people will only bring you down.”
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A GoFundMe page was created to help his family with funeral costs and to honor “his dream to help people with mental health and addiction.”
“Cooper had many many goals for himself,” the organizer wrote, noting that he hoped to “open a rehab center” and help people “of all ages all around the world.”
“You will be missed dearly cooper, you are so loved! May you be at peace,” the message concluded.
If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.
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