Lil Poppa’s mother has confirmed that the late rapper had methamphetamine in his system when he died by suicide earlier this year.
On Monday (May 18), Lil Poppa’s mother, Lynn Hickson, shared a message on her Instagram account regarding her son’s autopsy and toxicology report. In her letter, which you can read below, Hickson confirmed that the Jacksonville, Florida, rapper had methamphetamine in his system when he took his own life with a self-inflicted gunshot wound in February.
The matriarch admitted that Poppa suffered from depression and anxiety at the time and was using medication to treat herself.
“The report confirms that he had methamphetamine in his system at the time of his death,” Hickson wrote in part. “As his family, we do believe drugs played a significant role in what happened.”
“While he did struggle with depression and anxiety, we knew in our hearts that substances affecting his thinking and judgment made an already difficult battle even harder,” she continued. “If the son we knew and loved had the right mentality, he would never want to leave his children, his family or the people who care about him so deeply.”
“Substance abuse can change a person’s thinking, emotions and decisions in heartbreaking ways. We are not sharing this to shame, but to speak the truth and hopefully bring awareness to the true dangers of these drugs, especially when someone is already struggling emotionally or mentally,” she added.
“As we live through this pain day by day, please continue to pray for our family and especially his children. If sharing his story can help even one person, it’s important to talk about it honestly. Relax, son. We love you forever,” she concluded.
Lil Poppa, born Janarious Mykel Wheeler, died of a gunshot wound to the head on February 18, according to the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office. Florida Rhymes dies after a car accident. He was 25 years old.
Lil Poppa was laid to rest on March 7 in Jacksonville, Florida.
If you or someone you know is at risk of suicide or considering self-harm, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text TALK to 741741 or visit spokenofsuicide.com for more resources.
