One Direction fans descended on the Buenos Aires hotel where Liam Payne died unexpectedly on Wednesday, October 16, holding an impromptu vigil for the 31-year-old former band member.
Payne died after falling from the third floor of the CasaSur Palermo Hotel. Police were dispatched to the scene after a 911 call reported a man, who may have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol, acting aggressively. When police arrived, the hotel manager said he heard a loud noise coming from the interior courtyard.
“Unfortunately, he had injuries incompatible with life due to the fall, so we had to confirm the death,” SAME (Emergency Medical Assistance System) director Alberto Crescenti said in a TV interview via local outlet La Nación. “There was no possibility of resuscitation.”
Fans stood outside the hotel as police continued their investigation, many crying or singing One Direction songs. Police eventually closed off the road leading to the hotel to prevent traffic from coming through and sealed off the hotel entrance.
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Payne arrived in Argentina earlier in the month to attend his former One Direction bandmate Niall Horan’s concert.
“I’m feeling heartbroken. I remember when I was a kid I had a lot of bullying in my school and his songs helped. I’m devastated. I came as soon as I heard the news,” fan Martina Belaustgui told The Guardian. “I saw him at Niall’s show a few weeks ago. He was singing and dancing and jumping.”
In the days before his death, Payne was seen continuing to sing and dance with Horan’s fans. He was also active on his Snapchat account throughout the week, telling fans he was having a “lovely day” with his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy.
“I met him when I was 12,” Mariana Pinto, another fan, told The Guardian. “He was with his family and I asked for a picture. He was so nice. I was so shy, he tried to talk to me but I couldn’t say anything. I regret that.”
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The Guardian reports that as authorities moved Payne’s body away from the scene, the crowd broke into applause, while many also continued to cry. The hotel has since placed black boards in front of its windows.
“We are heartbroken. Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul,” his family said in a statement obtained by the BBC. “We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time.”
Payne is survived by his parents, Karen and Geoff Payne, his older sisters, Nicola and Ruth, and his 7-year-old son, Bear, whom he shared with ex-girlfriend Cheryl Cole.
