Chester Bennington death: Linkin Park release first statement since singer's death

Chester Bennington’s band has issued its first statement since he killed himself - speaking of being wracked by “shockwaves of grief and denial”.

“Our hearts are broken. The shockwaves of grief and denial are still sweeping through our family as we come to grips with what has happened,” Linkin Park wrote.

“You touched so many lives, maybe even more than you realised. In the past few days, we've seen an outpouring of love and support, both public and private, from around the world.”

The news came on the same day the Los Angeles County coroner confirmed the 41-year-old’s cause of death, saying he had hanged himself.

The coroner’s office said that a half empty bottle of alcohol was found in the room of his home north west of Los Angeles, but that no drug or suicide note were recovered. A full postmortem examination has yet to be scheduled.

As fans of the band around the world have paid tribute to Bennington, the band has cancelled a tour that was scheduled to start this week.

In the statement, written in the form of an open letter to the singer, the band said we “want the world to know that you were the best husband, son, and father; the family will never be whole without you”.

The statement added: “Talking with you about the years ahead together, your excitement was infectious. Your absence leaves a void that can never be filled—a boisterous, funny, ambitious, creative, kind, generous voice in the room is missing.

"We’re trying to remind ourselves that the demons who took you away from us were always part of the deal. After all, it was the way you sang about those demons that made everyone fall in love with you in the first place. You fearlessly put them on display, and in doing so, brought us together and taught us to be more human. You had the biggest heart, and managed to wear it on your sleeve.”

In Monday's statement, the band also admitted that its very future was unclear following the death of its iconic singer.

“Our love for making and performing music is inextinguishable. While we don’t know what path our future may take, we know that each of our lives was made better by you,” the band wrote. “Thank you for that gift. We love you, and miss you so much.”

In the UK, for confidential support on mental health call Samaritans free from any phone, at any time, on 116 123 (UK & RoI) or email jo@samaritans.org.

In the US, the Suicide Prevention Lifeline number is 1-800-273-TALK