Death of Prince

{{Infobox news event − | title = Death of Prince

− | image =

− | caption = Hundreds of fans gather outside Paisley Park as the mourn Prince's death

− | date = April 21, 2016 (2016-04-21)

− | place = Chanhassen, Minnesota, U.S.

− | cause = Opioid overdose

− | reported death(s) = Prince }}

− On April 21, 2016, American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and actor Prince was found dead at his Paisley Park home and studio. Within hours, the news quickly spread across the globe, leaving fans and celebrities stunned. "Prince" was the top trending term on Twitter and Facebook had over 61 million Prince related posts. Questions about how Prince had died were raised quickly. He had cancelled two shows on April 7th stating that he had had the flu but postponed them to April 14th where he would then play his last concert. While flying back to Minneapolis the night of the performance, Prince fell unconscious, causing his plane to make an emergency landing in Moline, Illinois. There, he received Narcan, a save-shot which is used to treat opioid overdoses, but left soon after because he could not get a private room. On April 21, 2016, just a week after and alleged overdose on his plane, Prince was found dead in an elevator at Paisley Park, after his staff were unable to reach him all morning.

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Timeline

− On April 7, 2016, Prince had cancelled two shows at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia, stating that he had influenza. He later postponed the shows to April 14th of which would be his last concert he would ever perform. Early the next morning, Prince's private jet made an emergency landing in Moline, Illinois, after Prince had fallen unconscious after an alleged overdose on Percocet. At the hospital, Prince received Narcan, a "save shot' used to treat overdoses. He left quickly against medical advice. The next day, Prince was seen bicycling around Chanhassen. The next day, Prince was seen at Electric Fetus in Minneapolis in support of Record Store Day and made an appearance at a dance party at his Paisley Park home, assuring everybody that he was alright and that people should "wait a few days before you waste your prayers". On April 19, he attended a jazz performance by singer Lizz Wright at the Dakota Jazz Club.

− − On April 20, Prince's representatives called Dr. Howard Kornfeld, a California specialist in addiction and pain management, seeking immediate help for Prince. Prince was scheduled to meet Kornefeld on April 22, and he contacted a local physician who cleared his schedule for a physical examination on April 21. On April 21, at 9:43 a.m., the Carver County Sheriffs Office received a 9-11 call asking for an ambulance to be sent to Paisley Park. The caller initially told the dispatcher that the unidentified person was unconscious, then moments later said he was dead and identified the person as Prince. The caller was Dr. Kornfeld's son, who had flown in that morning with buprenorphine and a treatment plan for an opioid addiction. Emergency responder found Prince in the elevator, unresponsive, and started performing CPR on him, though a paramedic said that he had been dead for at least six hours. He was pronounced dead 10:07 a.m., 19 minutes after their arrival. There were no signs of suicide or foul play.

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