California, 20 December 2022 (GNP): The death cause of Cooper Noriega was determined six months after he died. His body was found in a Burbank, California, parking lot on June 9, less than three weeks before his 20th birthday. His autopsy revealed that his death was caused by accidental drug overdose through the combined effects of alprazolam, fentanyl, and lorazepam, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner.
An investigation into his death found evidence of ‘recent clonazepam use.’ The coroner confirmed that he died in a parking lot. Just hours before his death, Cooper posted on TikTok a cryptic post to his followers. While lying in bed, he wrote, “Who else b thinking they gon d!€ young af.”
Cooper had nearly 2 million TikTok followers and 429,000 followers on Instagram, and he had been open with his fans about his mental health struggles and substance abuse just days before his death; Noriega had opened up on his social media about his struggles and encouraged his followers to share their own stories. On June 5, 2022, he revealed on Instagram that he made a Discord server for “mental health strictly,” explaining he had been “struggling with addiction” since he was 9 years old.
He wrote on Instagram on 5 June: “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. 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.” The TikTok added he wanted to eventually ‘open a rehab’ where patients ‘aren’t traumatized’ after their experience.
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Following the news of his passing, an outpouring of grief and shock came from fans mourning the teen’s tragic demise. His family also broke their silence on the loss, sharing their statements via social media. His father, Harold Noriega, shared an emotional statement on his Facebook, remembering him: “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’s ex-girlfriend Sabrina Quesada also paid tribute to him, saying: “You’re the best thing that ever happened to me,” Sab captioned her post. “I’m so sorry, my love. may we meet again.” Other members of his family and fans continue to grieve for him.
At the time of his death, the social media personality had almost 2 million TikTok followers and 95.7 million likes, as well as more than 427,000 followers on Instagram. He was best known for posting lip-sync videos and short sketches.
