Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington was found dead on 20 July 2017, the Los Angeles County Coroner confirmed.

Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington was found dead on 20 July 2017, the Los Angeles County Coroner confirmed.

On 20 July 2017, entertainment gossip site TMZ reported that Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington had killed himself:

Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington has committed suicide … TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us the singer hanged himself at a private residence in Palos Verdes Estates in L.A. County. His body was discovered Thursday just before 9 AM.

TMZ added that Bennington purportedly struggled with addiction prior to his death. We contacted the Los Angeles County Coroner and obtained confirmation that Bennington had indeed passed away. Brian Elias, chief of operations for the Los Angeles Country Coroner’s Office, told us that while the investigation is in its preliminary stages, it is being viewed as a possible suicide.

Although the news about Bennington’s death is true, hoax purveyor MediaMass quickly published an item titled “‘Chester Bennington dead 2017 : Linkin Park frontman killed by internet death hoax,” falsely reporting:

News of singer Chester Bennington’s death spread quickly earlier this week causing concern among fans across the world. However the July 2017 report has now been confirmed as a complete hoax and just the latest in a string of fake celebrity death reports. Thankfully, Linkin Park frontman is alive and well.