One Direction has spoken out about the loss of former bandmate Liam Payne, who died after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Wednesday (Oct. 16).
In a joint statement shared one day after the tragedy, surviving members Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson wrote that they are collectively “completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing.”
“In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say,” their message continues. “But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly. 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,” the band added. “We will miss him terribly. We love you Liam.”
Payne died around 5:07 p.m. local time after sustaining multiple traumas and hemorrhages from his fall, a recent preliminary autopsy confirmed. Local authorities believe he was not sober at the time and found substances that appeared to be narcotics and alcoholic drinks in his room after they arrived at the scene. In the moments leading up to the star’s death, a hotel manager called 911 to report that a guest was “overwhelmed with drugs and alcohol” and “destroying [their] entire room”; by the time police got there, Payne had already fallen from the balcony of his room and died due to his injuries.
Payne, Styles, Horan, Malik and Tomlinson first met in 2010 on The X Factor, when judges Simon Cowell and Nicole Scherzinger placed them together in a boy band. One Direction continued on for six years after that, scoring four No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 and six Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hits in addition to embarking on numerous sold-out global tours before disbanding in 2016.
Afterward, all five members pursued solo careers. Relations between the members were sometimes tense following heir split, but in recent years, the quintet appeared to be supporting one another more than ever. Just two weeks before he died in Argentina, Payne had attended Horan’s concert in the country.
In addition to the band’s statement, Tomlinson also shared his own personal tribute to Payne on Instagram on Thursday. “Liam was in my opinion the most vital part of One Direction,” he wrote, sharing a throwback photo with his late bandmate. “His experience from a young age, his perfect pitch, his stage presence, his gift for writing. The list goes on. Thank you for shaping us Liam.”