As a tumultuous, taxing 2020 was beginning to wrap, electronic music suffered a devastating dagger in late November with the loss of Garrett Lockhart, better known as i_o. Close friends, collaborators, and fans mourned together in the loss of the bright, talented producer, suddenly gone at 30. At the time, i_o’s cause of death was unclear, though, with the abrupt nature of the artist’s passing, much of the ensuing conversation centered around mental health and i_o’s impact and legacy. Now, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s office has determined the official cause of death to be natural causes, revealing that Lockhart suffered from late stage Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.

Also known as chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is an autoimmune disease that causes chronic inflammation of the thyroid. One common symptom of thyroiditis is depression, and if left untreated, can become more severe over time. Lockhart’s family also released a statement in tandem with the Medical Examiner’s findings, saying that, “while Garrett did suffer from depression and anxiety, he did not take his own life,” adding that,

“It is our hope that Garrett’s premature death can be used to create and normalize conversations surrounding mental health issues, realizing there may be underlying disease or conditions requiring medical attention.”

The LA County Medical Examiner’s ruling comes just says after what would have been i_o’s 31st birthday. Read the Lockhart family’s statement in full below.

Statement from the Lockhart family pic.twitter.com/VakfFrQdSm

— i_o (@i_oofficial) May 18, 2021

Tags: cause of death, coroner, i_o, medical examiner, techno

Categories: News