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Stunned One Direction fans gathered outside a hotel in Buenos Aires to mourn Liam Payne following his shocking death. 

The former member of the boy band died on Oct. 16 after he fell from a third-floor balcony at the Casa Sur hotel in the city’s Palermo neighborhood. He was 31. 

Liam Payne fans mourn One Direction star in Buenos Aires

People record an ambulance outside the Casa Sur hotel in Buenos Aires
Forensic workers take the body of British singer Liam Payne from the hotel where he died in Buenos Aires on Oct. 16 | Luis ROBAYO / AFP

Payne died at 5 p.m. local time, according to a report from The Guardian. Once word spread of his accident, people descended on the scene to watch as authorities responded to the incident. 

Many fans were visibly distraught. Some lit candles as a makeshift memorial to the singer sprang up outside the hotel, while others embraced each other. A few peeked through the windows of the hotel to get a glimpse of what was happening inside. 

Notes to Liam Payne outside hotel in Buenos Aires
Notes left for Liam Payne outside the Casa Sur hotel | LUIS ROBAYO/AFP via Getty Images

As news of Payne’s death spread, more fans arrived to pay tribute and leave flowers, photos, and notes. 

“Thank you for the music,” one message read. 

“Always in my heart. Thank you for being part of my history,” another person wrote. 

Liam Payne’s death ‘shocking,’ fan says  

Fans light candle for Liam Payne
Fans of British singer Liam Payne lit candles next to the hotel where he died | Luis ROBAYO / AFP

“It’s really, really shocking. We never expected this. We were so happy he was here in Argentina,” Lucía López, told The Guardian. (Payne was spotted attending his former bandmate Niall Horan’s concert in Buenos Aires in early October.) “I’ve had this poster of Liam since 2012, it used to be on my wall when I was a girl, now I am bringing it here.”

“His fans stayed outside all night, past midnight, singing for him, lighting candles. I’m not a fan personally, but it was very emotional,” Jael Catalá, who lives across the street from the Casa Sur hotel, said. “They felt so much.”

Drugs and alcohol may have played a role in Payne’s death

Fans peer through the round windows of the Casa Sur hotel
People look through the windows of the hotel where Liam Payne died | Luis ROBAYO / AFP

According to a preliminary autopsy, Payne died from trauma and internal bleeding as a result of his fall, including head injuries. An investigation is ongoing, but authorities said that there were signs that drugs and alcohol could have played a role in the incident. 

“Everything indicates that the musician was alone when the fall occurred, and was going through some kind of episode due to substance abuse,” the prosecutor’s office said, per a Reuters report.

Two female fans mourn Liam Payne in Buenos Aires
Fans pay tribute to British singer Liam Payne | Luis ROBAYO / AFP

“City police who surveyed the scene found substances inside the room that at first glance – and pending confirmation from the experts – would be narcotics and alcoholic beverages, as well as several destroyed objects and furniture,” they added. 

Prior to Payne’s death, a hotel employee had called 911 requesting help in dealing with an out-of-control guest who appeared to be under the influence of drugs and alcohol. In interviews over the years, Payne had spoken about his issues with drugs and alcohol and his attempts to get sober. 

How to get help: In the U.S., contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration helpline at 1-800-662-4357.

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