TikTok star Cooper Noriega was found dead in a parking lot on Thursday, hours after posting a chilling video about dying “young”.
The 19-year-old social media star — who had 1.7 million followers on the video-sharing app — died outside an LA mall, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner website.
His cause of death is unknown at this time.
A spokesman for the LA Coroner’s Office told Vidak For Congress on Friday that the verdict on Noriega’s manner of death has been “postponed,” meaning it’s still unclear “after an autopsy” and the coroner’s “needs more investigation into the death.” including additional studies.
“Once the tests/studies come back, the doctor will re-evaluate the case and determine the cause of death.”
Noriega’s death comes a day after he posted a cryptic video in bed, writing: “Who else thinks they’re going!€ [sic] young of .”
The social media star did not clarify why he thought he would die young.
Noriega has been open with followers about his struggles with mental health issues and substance abuse.
Last week, he appeared on Barstool’s BFFs podcast and shared that he was very “insecure” when he started posting on TikTok because he was overweight at the time.
He also admitted that he started taking drugs before he turned 10.
“I mean, we’re talking Xanax, Aderall, marijuana, nicotine,” Noriego told host Dave Portnoy, who replied, “Nine [years old], thats crazy. I didn’t even know I was playing GI Joe when I was nine.”
Noriego also confirmed that he had recently broken up with fellow TikToker Sabrina Quesada, who he had been in a relationship with for nearly two years.
Noriega told his followers on Instagram on Sunday that he has created a Discord, an instant messaging social platform, for “strictly mental health.”
He wrote in part: “I would like to use the influence I’ve been given to create a space built on spreading awareness and normalizing talk about mental illness. My goal is to eventually open a rehab center where people are not traumatized at the end of their recovery.”
Followers have used the comments section of the post to leave their condolences as it was the last thing he posed before his death.