Cooper Noriega's family is speaking out on the tragic death of the popular TikTok creator, who was found dead in his car on Thursday, June 9. He was 19 years old.
"hi everyone. on behalf of our family we want to thank you all for the kind words of our little coop," the statement shared on his Instagram said. "His passing is an absolute tragedy to our family and loved ones. We pray that we all as a community can continue on his legacy."
According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s Office, Noriega was found dead on the 500 block of North First Street in Burbank, California, around 4:20 p.m on Thursday.
An exact cause of death is still unclear while the case remains under investigation.
"He loved each and everyone of you," the statement continued. "Please feel free to reach out to us as we love feeling all the support. Bless you all…"
The note was signed by his sister, 24-year-old Parker Noriega.
Cooper's dad, Harold Noriega, also shared a tribute to Cooper on his Facebook page.
“I want to thank each of you for all of your special birthday wishes. They mean so much to me,” Harold wrote on Friday, June 10, also his 66th birthday. “I also want to share with you that today has been an incredibly difficult time for my family and me. We lost our beautiful 19 year old Cooper last evening. 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," he continued. "It’s not supposed to be this way. Your child is not supposed to pass before his parents. Cooper has touched so many people. He recently started a chat on Discord which grew to thousands for those to have a safe place to talk about mental health. My boy was a believer and I know he is in the presence of God. Thank you everyone. I love you all."
Cooper is also survived by his mom, Treva Noriega.
On Saturday, June 11, she wrote, "My heart is forever broken but you're my special angel and we have each other’s hearts."
"I know my mom was holding her arms out bringing you to Heaven," her post continued. "You are finally experiencing the most pure joy and happiness. I’ll see you one day my baby boy… your momma."
Fans, friends and fellow TikTok creators have been mourning the loss of Noriega across social media since news of his death broke.
Among those who shared a tribute was Sabrina Quesada, a TikTok star and Noriega’s ex-girlfriend. Quesada posted a series of photos on Instagram in a carousel, including a black and white photo of Noriega smiling, photo booth photos of the couple kissing, a screenshot of text messages shared between the two, and a video of the couple kissing.
“the light of my life, you’re the best thing that ever happened to me,” she wrote in the caption. “i’m so sorry my love. may we meet again.”