TMZ first with news on frontman's suicide: Linkin Park's Chester Bennington, 41, hangs himself

YouTube download / AP video / Linkin Park lead singer Chester Bennington was found dead in his home near Los Angeles on Thursday, July 20. He was 41. The death is being investigated as an apparent suicide. 

Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington committed suicide, TMZ reported on its website at 12:32 PT, the first media outlet to confirm the band's frontman committed suicide by hanging himself, which was backed up by the Associated Press and other news organizations.

"Law enforcement sources tell us the singer hanged himself at a private residence in Palos Verdes Estates in L.A. County," TMZ reported. "His body was discovered Thursday just before 9 a.m."

TMZ also said in part, "Chester was very close with Chris Cornell, who himself committed suicide by hanging in May. Today would have been Cornell's 53rd birthday. Chester wrote an open letter to Chris on the day of Chris' suicide."

Here is a link to the TMZ story: http://www.tmz.com/2017/07/20/linkin-park-singer-chester-bennington-dead-commits-suicide/ .

-- Henry Frederick, Headline Surfer, reporting from Orlando, FL