We all grew up aware of the legacy of Michael Jackson.
He was the boy from the Jackson Five who became the King of Pop.
He was the man who wore the single white glove and trademark red jacket, crafted moves like the moonwalk and gave audiences the musical hits “Thriller,” and “Beat It.”
Jackson, 50, met his untimely death on Thursday at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. He was rushed to the hospital from his Holmby Hills home, according to Los Angeles Times reports. Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Steve Ruda told the Los Angeles Times that paramedics responded to a call at Jackson’s home early that afternoon. Jackson wasn’t breathing when they arrived and the paramedics performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
Though the exact cause of death is yet to be determined, pending the results from his autopsy, Jackson’s brother Jermaine Jackson told reporters Thursday that it is believed the pop star suffered cardiac arrest in his home. The news was broken by celebrity news Web site TMZ, leaving hundreds of fans across the country and throughout the world wondering what had happened to the star. News spread swiftly via telephone calls, media reports and text messages.
Sarineh Khanbabaei, a fourth-year political science student, was sitting in class when she was alerted of Jackson’s death.
“My sister texted me while I was in class. I ran with my friends down to the (medical center),” she said.
Khanbabaei and friends were not the only ones. As soon as word got out, hundreds of fans flocked outside of the medical center.
After reports were confirmed, university police and the Los Angeles Police Department blocked off many of the campus streets, including Charles E. Young Drive, to restrict public access near the medical center. Police monitored traffic along Westwood Boulevard.
Inside the hospital, arriving at approximately 1:14 p.m., a team of doctors attempted to resuscitate Jackson for more than an hour, according to a UCLA statement. They were unsuccessful. Word spread across the Village that Jackson was present, and Westwood Boulevard consequently became crowded with students, local Los Angeles residents and media personnel, all of whom crowded at the entrance of the hospital.
Kisha Lockett, a recent UCLA graduate, held her son outside of the hospital, tears in her eyes. Lockett said she heard the news and immediately packed up her two children to go to the hospital to pay tribute to the star.
“He was an icon for the world, but even more for the black community,” she said. “He gave black people hope. He’s one of us that made it. He represented us in the world.”
The atmosphere outside of the medical center was hectic, with an anxious energy that filled the air as worried fans struggled for a glimpse of anyone who could give more information of the untimely death. The crowd chanted “Michael” while waiting for the press conference that would confirm the details of Jackson’s death. “Thriller” reverberated through UCLA’s surrounding streets, blasting from cars passing by, as well as nearby residences and fraternities who sought to pay tribute to the late pop star.
Among the gatherers was Sherry Soong, a UCLA alumna, who had originally arrived at the medical center to take her stepdaughter to a medical appointment.
“Our family immigrated here in 1983, and I was born in ’75,” Soong said. “So it’s almost like Michael was part of the American experience. It’s really sad ““ you grow up trying to do the moonwalk and impersonate his other dance moves.”
But Jackson’s life was filled with scandal as well as fame. Plastic surgery caused the pop star to look quite different from his wholesome childhood looks when he was in the Jackson Five with his brothers and sisters. And news reports announced allegations of child molestation.
He became the man whose life was filled with gossip and speculation as civil litigation was filed against him. He became the inhabitant of the iconic Neverland estate and the celebrity who risked his own son Prince Michael II’s life by holding him from a Berlin balcony to show fans. But Jackson was hoping for a comeback, rehearsing for an upcoming tour when death struck him.
His fans stand by him. They constructed a flower memorial outside the hospital and brought candles to honor him Thursday evening.
“He was so misunderstood and judged by so many people.” Lockett said. “He was full of love and warmth.”
With reports from Samantha Masunaga and Derrick Oliver, Bruin senior staff.