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Cris Cornell‘s cause of death has been ruled as suicide by hanging, according to the Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The singer, who first gained fame as the lead singer of Soundgarden and later the band Audioslave, was found dead at MGM Grand Detroit hours after the band’s performance Wednesday night at the Fox Theatre, his rep and Detroit police told WHO‘s sister publication PEOPLE.
A full autopsy has not yet been completed, according to the medical examiner’s office. He was 52.
“Chris Cornell passed away late Wednesday night in Detroit, Michigan,” said his rep in a statement. “His wife Vicky and family were shocked to learn of his sudden and unexpected passing, and they will be working closely with the medical examiner to determine the cause. They would like to thank his fans for their continuous love and loyalty and ask that their privacy be respected at this time.”
Detroit police spokesperson Michael Woody previously told Billboard officers found Cornell laying in his hotel bathroom unresponsive after receiving a 911 call at midnight Thursday morning from an unnamed person. Local news station WXYZ reported that Cornell’s wife, Vicky Karayiannis, had called a family friend and asked him to check on her husband’s well-being.
“Chris seemed in really great spirits and everyone is in complete shock,” a friend of the late rocker and Vicky told PEOPLE before the cause of death was revealed. Added another source: “He was an incredible family man. He loved all of his children.”
Cornell leaves wife Vicky and their two children, daughter Toni, 12, and son Christopher, 11, as well as daughter Lillian, 16, from his previous marriage to Susan Silver.
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This article originally appeared on PEOPLE.
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