Following their split in 2015, the surviving members of boy band One Direction have joined forces again to mourn the loss of Liam Payne, who died yesterday (October 16) at age 31.
"We're completely devastated by the news of Liam's passing," Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik wrote in a joint statement posted to One Direction's Instagram account. "In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say. But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly.
They continued, "The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever. For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him alongside us. We will miss him terribly," adding "We love you Liam" in conclusion.
Payne was found dead in Buenos Aires, Argentina, after falling from the balcony of a third-floor hotel room. Local police said in a statement that the singer had "had jumped from the balcony of his room" while under the influence of drugs and alcohol (according to the hotel manager, who called 911), while a preliminary autopsy report revealed that he may have been partially or completely unconscious at the time of the fall.