Taylor Hawkins death: Foo Fighters drummer had 10 drugs in his system, Colombian officials say
ByKelli Dugan, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
ByKelli Dugan, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
BOGOTA, Colombia — Colombian authorities issued a statement Saturday afternoon noting that Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins had 10 substances in his system at the time of his Friday night death, Variety and The Associated Press reported.
Preliminary toxicology tests indicated Hawkins had 10 psychoactive substances and medicines in his system, including marijuana, opioids, tricyclic antidepressants and benzodiazepines, the AP reported.
A cause of death has not yet been determined, and Colombia’s Prosecutor’s Office did not classify Hawkins’ death as an overdose in its statement, Variety reported.
The report, the results of which were tweeted by Colombia’s attorney general, did not further specify the drugs found as the investigation continues, the entertainment news site reported.
At least one Colombian media outlet has published unconfirmed reports of the exact substances found in Hawkins’ system, but the report is based on comments from unnamed authorities.
Foo Fighters had been scheduled to play at a festival in Bogota, Colombia, on Friday night, meaning Hawkins performed in his final concert Sunday at another festival in San Isidro, Argentina.
A concert organizer for the Bogota festival initially told the crowd that the show was canceled for medical reasons, but within minutes news of Hawkins’ death flooded social media.
“Some (fans) cried. Others were sad, astonished, moved. It was a very powerful moment,” Diego Báez, a 33-year-old fan of the rockers told the AP.
Organizers ultimately projected the words “Taylor Hawkins forever” on a screen for the stunned crowd, while the song “My Hero” played.
Hawkins died in a hotel north of Boota, where the band was staying in advance of Friday’s show, Variety reported.
The entertainment news outlet offered the following English translation of the official tweet from Colombia’s attorney general:
“In the urine toxicological test carried out on the body of Taylor Hawkins, 10 types of substances were preliminarily found, among them: THC (marijuana), tricyclic antidepressants, benzodiazepines and opioids. The National Institute of Forensic Medicine will continue the medical studies to achieve total clarification of the facts that led to the death of Taylor Hawkins. The Office of the Attorney General of the Nation will continue with the investigation and will report the results obtained within the framework thereof in a timely manner.”
Prior to Hawkins’ death, the Foo Fighters had been slated to return to the United States to perform at the Grammy’s on April 3.