Overview
- The Fulton County coroner confirmed Lil Poppa, born Janarious Mykel Wheeler, died from a single self-inflicted gunshot to the left side of his head while in a car’s passenger seat.
- Coroner documents obtained by TMZ formalize the finding and record his death on February 18, 2026, at age 25.
- Hapeville’s police chief said the rapper crashed on Interstate 85, spoke with his manager at a nearby hotel, and then shot himself before being taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
- A toxicology report has not been released, which could clarify whether any substances contributed to the events that led to his death.
- Grief has been raw in his hometown, with a February 21 Jacksonville memorial ending in gunfire that injured two women and two men, and with the mother of his child posting a public note of heartbreak.