Former Disney Star Lee Thompson Young Commits Suicide

UPDATED 8/19/13, 10:51 p.m. EST: According to police investigators, Young did not leave a suicide note.

————————————————————————————————–

UPDATED 8/19/13, 4:51 p.m. EST: Executive Producer of “Rizzoli & Isles” Janet Tamaro says that the show’s cast is “devastated” by Lee Thompson Young’s suicide:

“We are beyond heartbroken at the loss of this sweet, gentle, good-hearted, intelligent man. He was truly a member of our family. Lee will be cherished and remembered by all who knew and loved him, both on- and off-screen, for his positive energy, infectious smile, and soulful grace. We send our deepest condolences and thoughts to his family, to his friends and, most especially, to his beloved mother.

_________________________________________________________________

UPDATED 8/19/13, 3:02 p.m. EST:Lee Thompson Young‘s publicist, Lori Jonas, has reportedly confirmed that Young did indeed take his own life, according to TMZ^[1], and released the following statement:

“It is with great sadness that I announce that Lee Thompson Young tragically took his own life this morning … Lee was more than just a brilliant young actor, he was a wonderful and gentle soul who will be truly missed.”

Watch news coverage of Lee Thompson Young’s suicide here:

_________________________________________________________

Former Disney star Lee Thompson Young (pictured) was reportedly found dead on Monday, and the cause of death appears to be suicide, according to TMZ^[2].

SEE ALSO: EMS Worker Suffers Coronary Attack While Administering CPR To Heart Patient^[3]

When Young reportedly did not report to work on the set of “Rizzoli & Isles,” fellow employees

reportedly called the landlord of his L.A. home to see if they could locate him.

And to the landlord’s dismay, shortly after opening Young’s door, he would reportedly find the actor’s body.

According to authorities, it appears that Young died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Young started his professional acting career at the age of 15 with TV movie “Johnny Tsunami.” Soon after, he would land a leading role as “Jett Jackson” for the 2001 film “Jett Jackson: The Movie,” which would spur the action-hero TV show “The Famous Jett Jackson.”

Watch Young in “Jett Jackson” here:

Young would continue to have steady acting work until 2004, when he would star in “Friday Night Lights,” alongside Billy Bob Thornton and Derek Luke, among others.

Watch Lee Thompson Young’s talk about “Friday Night Lights” here:

On “Rizzoli,” Young played “Detective Barry Frost.”

Watch Lee Thompson Young behind the scenes on “Rizzoli & Isles” here:

At the time of his untimely death, Young was only 29 years old.

References

1. ^{^}according to TMZ (www.tmz.com)
2. ^{^}according to TMZ (www.tmz.com)
3. ^{^}EMS Worker Suffers Coronary Attack While Administering CPR To Heart Patient (newsone.com)