Chris Pearson Dead: What Reportedly Led to 'Ex on the Beach' Star's Fatal Stabbing
Chris Pearson's death was caused by an argument between neighbors that escalated way out of control, his friends say. The 25-year-old reality star died in the early hours of Sunday morning after he was stabbed in an altercation in Southern California's San Fernando Valley. Now, sources close to him have divulged further details to TMZ.
Insiders said that Pearson — best known for competing on Season 1 of MTV's Ex on the Beach — was at home in his apartment complex when the tragedy struck. He and his girlfriend were reportedly up late on Saturday night and were still at the community pool at around 2 a.m. when a neighbor complained. They said that Pearson was yelling and making a lot of noise, which angered some neighbors who were trying to sleep. After he ignored some of their complaints, one neighbor came out on his balcony and began screaming down at Pearson.
The sources said that the screaming match escalated when Pearson went inside to confront the man, not knowing that he was wielding a knife. It is not clear where they clashed or who might have witnessed the fight, but the man who stabbed Pearson reportedly fled the scene before police arrived. He stabbed Pearson in the chest, not far from his heart.
Pearson was reportedly stabbed at around 2 a.m. and was rushed to the hospital, where he died at around 3:30 a.m. from his injuries. The insiders emphasized that Pearson is not typically a confrontational person, so they are confused as to why this situation escalated so far.
Law enforcement sources told TMZ that they are investigating the whole situation and they believe it is a "solvable case." They said that they are now looking for witnesses and they have some promising leads, but so far no arrests have been made.
Pearson's friends are devastated by this turn of events and have started a GoFundMe campaign in the hopes of raising money to help his family pay for his funeral. The 25-year-old was a professional DJ, and his mother resides in Colorado.
Fans remember Pearson as a stand-out contestant on Ex on the Beach Season 1, where he appeared in 11 episodes in total. Although he was regarded as a "party boy" at first, he brought some pathos to the show when he confronted two ex-girlfriends, one of whom brought him to tears.