While everyone was busy arguing over whether or not Krewella were plugged in for their DJ set, a 22-year-old British soldier has reportedly died after attending Ultra Music Festival in Miami.
According to the NME, Private Shaun Cole, died early Sunday, March 29, “near to the festival’s Bayfront Park site. Investigators have said it will be some weeks before they establish if Cole’s injuries were an accident or from a deliberate attack.” Billboard reports the man had attended Ultra the day prior.
Cole was from Edinburgh. He had completed two tours of Afghanistan with his regiment, 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment Of Scotland, and he served in Sierra Leone during the country’s outbreak of Ebola.
In a statement, Cole’s commanding officer Lt Col Matt Munro said:
“The men and women of 1 SCOTS are shocked and deeply saddened to hear of the death of Private Shaun Cole. Shaun achieved an extraordinary amount in a military career that was full of promise, but was tragically cut short. We will miss him terribly. Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with Shaun’s family at this desperately difficult time.”
UK publication the Mirror reports that family and friends of Cole have left flowers and other messages at his mother’s doorstep in Scotland.
Via Billboard, the Army also released a statement from his family, reading:
“It comes with such regret that we have had to say goodbye to an amazing son, brother, grandson, nephew and friend. An extremely popular young man, he had a flair for life and was always the life and soul of everyone he was around. He was an incredible young man who had his life taken from him too soon. We ask everyone to respect our privacy to grieve.”
One of the biggest EDM festival in the world, Ultra was headlined David Guetta, Tiesto, Armin Van Buuren, Avicii, Axwell ^ Ingrosso, Knife Party and Skrillex.