Four Suspects Were Detained in Connection to TikTok Influencer Siyah’s Death
Siyah was 17 years old at the time of her January 2025 death.
Published Jan. 23 2025, 2:22 p.m. ET
In January 2025, TikTok's ban and quick pause of said ban sparked many conversations about the content creators who use their influence to earn money on the app. Sadly, amid the ongoing news about the ban, the conversations turned more severe when a popular TikTok creator was pronounced dead.
The influencer, Siyah, died on Jan. 20, 2025. Siyah, who went by @s1yahhh._ on TikTok and Instagram, was only 17 years old when she passed away. As fans continue to mourn the TikTok star, here's everything to know about her death.
Siyah on TikTok's cause of death explained.
News of Siyah's death went viral on social media on Monday, Jan. 20. Instagram account Messy Maj was the first to confirm she died of gun violence and shared screenshots from other outlets stating that a woman was shot in her car at the Los Cerritos Shopping Mall. While CBS News also reported on the shooting, Messy Maj identified the victim as Siyah in their caption of the report.
"Let’s send our condolences and prayers to #Siyah loved ones!" the outlet wrote. "She reportedly passed away at the age of 17 from gun violence."
CBS further elaborated that Siyah's shooting occurred on Saturday, Jan. 18. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department reported they found her unresponsive inside her car and later pronounced her dead. Jeremy Paguia, a manager at the Los Cerritos Chipotle outside of where Siyah was found recalled a nurse attempting to revive her before police came onto the scene.
“There was a lady passed out and a full car of boys and one girl, all screaming,” Paguia said. “It was a girl unconscious in her front seat. No pulse. A nurse came by and started doing CPR for a good 10 minutes."
Siyah was transported to a nearby hospital, where she died from her critical injuries. Upon the news of her death, police are preparing themselves for a lengthy investigation.
TikTok star Siyah's death investigation will "go on for a while," police say.
After Siyah's body was found, four young men who were passengers in the exact vehicle were detained. Since her death, Lit. Steve DeJong of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau has taken on the case. The officer didn't share any motive for Siyah's apparent murder and said the investigation would be ongoing.
"As far as the context and investigation, I can’t elaborate,” DeJong told Los Alamitos High School's student newspaper, The Griffin Gazette. “This investigation is going to go on for a while.”
As Siyah's family, friends, and supporters continue searching for answers, many choose to remember the light Siyah brought to their lives. Many reflect on the content creator's bubbly personality and impeccable dance videos. Underneath her final video, which shows another dance routine, her fans expressed their condolences and how much she would be missed.
"Long live Siyah. We will miss you," one fan wrote.
"Life is so unpredictable, rip," another said.
"I’m still in disbelief," a third user chimed in.
What they said and more. RIP, baby girl!