Liam Payne is being remembered by his former secondary school after the 31-year-old singer’s shocking death Wednesday (Oct. 16).
The morning after Payne suffered a fatal fall from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires — where the star appeared to have been staying on a trip with his girlfriend, influencer Kate Cassidy — St Peter’s Collegiate Academy posted a statement on Facebook mourning the loss in its community.
“We are deeply saddened to learn of the sudden passing of our former student, Liam Payne,” the message reads. “During his time at St Peter’s Collegiate Academy, Liam was not only well-liked by his peers and teachers, but also recognized for his talents. He made a positive impact on our school community, and his contributions will be remembered.”
“Our thoughts are with Liam’s family and friends during this difficult time,” the school added. “We extend our sincere condolences to all those affected by his passing.”
St Peter’s is located in Wolverhampton, England, where Payne grew up. He found fame in 2010 when an audition on The X Factor led to a six-year pop-music takeover as part of One Direction, after which the musician embarked on his own solo career.
The statement from Payne’s school is just one of countless messages of grief that have taken over social media since Argentinian police confirmed his passing, with Zedd, Paris Hilton, Ty Dolla $ign, Rita Ora and more musicians joining hordes of fans in remembering the boy band star online. His family also spoke out Thursday morning (Oct. 17), telling the BBC: “We are heartbroken. Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul. We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time.”
A recent preliminary autopsy affirms that Payne died from the multiple hemorrhages he sustained as a result of his fall, which occurred around 5:07 p.m. Wednesday. Examiners are still waiting for further toxicology reports to determine the extent to which drugs or alcohol played a part in the sequence of events; however, investigators did find substances in his hotel room that at first glance appeared to be narcotics and alcoholic drinks.
In the moments leading up to Payne’s death, a hotel manager also placed a frantic 911 call to report that a guest was “overwhelmed with drugs and alcohol” and “destroying [their] entire room.” By the time police arrived, the musician had already fallen and died at the scene due to his injuries.
Payne is survived by a 7-year-old son, Bear, whom he shared with ex-partner Cheryl Cole.
