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It was announced on Sunday that rising hip-hop artist, Juice WRLD, suffered a fatal seizure after his private plane landed in Chicago. Now, we’ve learned that the rapper was coming home to attend a celebration for his 21st birthday.
Juice WRLD, whose legal name is Jarad Anthony Higgins, turned 21 just last week on Dec.2. Although the official autopsy results have yet to be made public, TMZ is reporting that the cause of death could be linked to pills that were taken before he was rushed to the hospital for seizures, according to law enforcement sources.
In addition, sources have also told TMZ that the private jet Juice WRLD was traveling in carried 70 pounds of marijuana, stashed away inside of suitcases, and later confiscated by the FBI. People on the aircraft reportedly told police that they saw the 21-year-old rapper take several pills before he went into cardiac arrest at Midway Airport in Chicago.
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Also, police arrested two security guards – Chris Long, 36 of California, and Henry Dean, 27, of Chicago – who reportedly had two 9 mm guns. Long has been charged with unlawful possession of a firearm. Dean faces charges for carrying a concealed firearm at an airport and possessing a high-capacity magazine and metal-piercing bullets. A third gun, a 40-caliber was also recovered, Chicago police told TMZ.
The gun charges are all misdemeanor as the Cook County state’s attorney declined to push for felony gun charges. One of the guards had a legal permit to carry guns in Illinois, however, it is illegal to have a gun at an airport. Dean was released without bail, and Long is out after posting a $1,500 bond. They will be back in court in late December.
Police and paramedics responded to the airport hangar at Midway around 2 a.m. Sunday after the rapper went into cardiac arrest, authorities told The Chicago Tribune. He was rushed to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, but died an hour later.
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The Cook County Medical Examiner is expected to perform an autopsy later today to determine the official cause of death.
In the last Instagram post, Juice WRLD said that he planned to celebrate his birthday “all week.”