California TikTok star Cooper Noriega, who boasted nearly 2 million followers, reportedly died Thursday, mere hours after uploading an eerie TikTok video about dying young. He was 19 years old.
The tragic news broke after a Samaritan called emergency services after finding the influencer unconscious in the parking lot of a mall near Los Angeles, according to TMZ. Despite arriving on the scene shortly thereafter, paramedics were unable to resuscitate Noriega.
The star’s cause of death remains unclear, as he was not in a vehicle and didn’t display any signs of physical trauma, and officers do not suspect any foul play. The body is slated for an autopsy so authorities can glean more details surrounding his mysterious death, TMZ reported.
The heartbreaking news broke just hours after Noriega posted a video of himself lying in bed with the caption, “who else b thinking they gon d!€ young af.”
Ahead of his passing, the young star announced on Instagram on June 4 that he was starting a Discord page “for mental health strictly.”
“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,” he wrote in the emotional post. “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.”
At the time of his death, the social media sensation boasted 1.7 million TikTok followers and 95.7 million likes, as well as over 427,000 followers on Instagram. He was best known for posting lip-sync videos and short sketches.
In his last video before he died, which boasted over 1.2 million views, the entertainer showed snippets from his recent June 1 appearance on the Barstool Sports podcast “BFFs” with Dave Portnoy, Josh Richards and Bri Chickenfry.
Needless to say, social media was devastated over losing Noriega.
“I’m heartbroken and can’t imagine how his family and friends are feeling,” wrote one crestfallen commenter, while another said, “Plz someone tell me it’s not true he’s not actually gone.”
Another commented on the “dying young” video: “The fact that he posted this couple of hours ago and now his dead?? This really breaks my heart … RIP angel.”
Fellow TikTok star Max Dressler also paid tribute to the fallen star, writing, “coop man :(.”
Meanwhile, “BFFs” mourned the star’s passing on Twitter. “Devastating news. RIP Cooper Noriega,” they wrote. “Life is fragile. Enjoy every minute.”
Noriega’s passing marks the latest in a string of TikTok star deaths this year. In January, 36-year-old TikToker Candice Murley mysteriously died several days after claiming that the “voices in her head had gone silent.”
