What Happened
Minutes after 12:00 noon on June 25, according to Los Angeles time, Michael suffered a complete cardiac arrest. At 12:21 p.m., a call was made from Michael’s home in Los Angeles to the emergency center (119), reporting that Michael had lost consciousness and had stopped breathing.
When doctors arrived at Michael’s home, they found him with a body that wasn’t breathing. Before their entry, Michael’s doctor had already begun CPR. Evidence indicated cardiac arrest, and the doctors continued CPR in the ambulance that transported Michael’s body to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. At the hospital, despite the doctors’ two-hour efforts to bring Michael back, there were no signs of physical life in him. Thus, the nightmare that had been roaming through the minds of many worried people for hours was, by the world’s most credible official authorities, released as the top news story—capturing media outlets across the entire world.
Following this announcement, Michael’s body was transferred by helicopter to the medical examiner’s office for an autopsy and to determine the cause of death.
One of the Jackson family’s relatives says that the night before, Michael had told Frank Dileo in a phone call that he wasn’t doing very well. After that, Michael’s doctor went to his home overnight. This source says it’s possible that an overdose of pain medication administered to Michael by his doctor caused his cardiac arrest. According to this source, Michael had been using painkillers to relieve physical pains caused by the preparation rehearsals for his concerts, which were scheduled to open in London in less than a month. These claims have not been confirmed yet, and determining the main cause of his death depends on the findings of the autopsy team, which—according to media reports—began its work on Friday, and it’s not yet known how long the operation will take.
Michael had three children: Prince Michael, 12 years old; Paris Michael Katherine, 11 years old; and Prince Michael II, known by the nickname Blanket, 7 years old. Reports say Michael’s children said goodbye to their father at the hospital and then returned home.
As rumors began to spread, thousands of fans gathered around the hospital where Michael was located, hoping to hear a denial of the rumors from officials. Fans around the world lit candles in his memory. CNN dedicated its daily program to Michael and interviewed many people who knew him closely. The network also broadcast images from New York and Los Angeles, where fans sang his songs in unison in remembrance of Michael and in praise of his art and music.
Many prominent people and artists described Michael’s passing in separate messages as a huge shock and a great loss. Among the names mentioned were Quincy Jones, Brooke Shields, Barry Gordy, Madonna, Justin Timberlake, and many others. Everyone who had heard this heartbreaking news described it in their condolence messages as shocking and devastating.
According to a report, Elizabeth Taylor was unable to issue a statement of condolence for this great loss due to severe depression caused by receiving this devastating shock. The Jackson family is deeply affected, and Jermaine Jackson, Michael’s older brother, asked the media to respect their privacy during a press conference at the hospital.
Source: eMJey / AP / Reuters / BBC / CNN / Yahoo News