Singer and former One Direction member Liam Payne was found dead on Oct. 16 after a fall off his third story balcony while staying at a hotel in Argentina.  

The passing comes as a shock to many, as earlier in the day Payne had been actively posting on social media with his girlfriend and 7-year-old son, Bear.

In the wake of Payne’s unexpected death, old friends took to social media to express their shock and sadness over the loss of their boyhood companion. 

“Liam was always so kind to me, he was one of the first major artists I got to work with,” singer Charlie Puth said. “I cannot believe he’s gone. May he rest in peace.”

Payne was an important part of many student’s childhoods, and although One Direction has been on hiatus since 2015, fans of the band mourn that their favorite boy band has now been permanently torn apart.

“When I was nine, I put on One Direction’s ‘Story of My Life’ music video and I decided to come out to my friends while the music played,” senior Sam Gander said. “I’ve always had a connection to One Direction and it’s really sad that I’m not going to get a reunion.”