For many who were around in the early 2010s music scene, One Direction is a source of nostalgia and classic boy band pop music. Liam Payne, one of the former One Direction members, suddenly passed away on October 16 at age 31, marking the end of an era, even though One Direction formally disbanded 8 years earlier in 2016. 

On October 16, Liam Payne was reported to have fallen off a third-floor balcony in the hotel he was staying at in Bueno Aires, Argentina. He was declared dead on the scene and had suffered from severe internal and external injuries. Most experts suggest that he was either not fully conscious or unconscious at the time of his death, as he didn’t have defensive injuries that indicate he tried to protect himself when falling. Toxicology reports have found that he had “pink cocaine,” methamphetamine, ketamine, MDMA, benzodiazepine, and possibly others in his system when he died. Just a few minutes before he fell, the hotel placed a 911 call saying that a man was staying in the hotel who was behaving erratically and may be under the influence. The caller expressed concern for Payne’s well-being, as his room had a balcony and they were afraid his life was in danger. 

Payne had been staying in Argentina with his girlfriend Kate Cassidy to attend his former bandmate Niall Horan’s concert. After hearing the news, fans around the world are heartbroken and his fellow bandmates have expressed condolences for his family and his seven-year-old son, Bear.