Content Warning: This article includes details about suicide. Reader discretion is advised.
Rapper Lil Poppa died Thursday, February 18. He was 25 years old.
The Jacksonville-based musician’s death was first reported on the day it occurred. However, new details regarding the star, whose real name is Janarious Mykel Wheeler, and his tragic passing. A police officer spoke to TMZ, revealing the cause of death, which was not immediately clear in early reports.
The Hapeville Chief of Police recalled the tragic death of Lil Poppa
According to Hapeville Chief of Police Bruce Hedley, speaking in an exclusive TMZ report, Lil Poppa was involved in a car accident on Interstate 85, south of Hapeville. The officer clarified the young up-and-coming star’s final hours and cause of death.
Chief Hedley then described the crash as a “single-car accident,” and the vehicle was “still drivable” after the incident. Allegedly, the star then phoned his manager, and they agreed to meet at a nearby Hilton Hotel.
Lil Poppa stayed in the car during the conversation with his manager, according to Hedley. They spoke through a rolled-down window, separated by the car door. During the conversation, the musician died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, police say. He was transported to Grady Hospital after hotel staff called 911, where he was pronounced dead. His death was publicly announced by his record label, CMG.
Lil Poppa was signed to fellow rapper Yo Gotti’s Collective Music Group and released singles including Love & War, Mind Over Matter, and HAPPY TEARS. In 2024, he opened for Rod Wave on tour. Just days before his tragic passing, Lil Poppa released a new single, titled Out of Town Bae.
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If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, help is available. Call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or visit 988lifeline.org.
