Glee actor Mark Salling has passed away in an apparent suicide weeks before being sentenced to prison for possession of child pornography.
“I can confirm that Mark Salling passed away early this morning. Mark was a gentle and loving person, a person of great creativity, who was doing his best to atone for some serious mistakes and errors of judgment,” his attorney Michael Proctor told PEOPLE. “He is survived by his mother and father, and his brother. The Salling family appreciates the support they have been receiving and asks for their privacy to be respected.”
An LAPD PIO also revealed to PEOPLE that officers responded to a death investigation on Tuesday morning at 8:50 a.m., however, they could not identify Salling at the time.
Cast and crew from the hit show Glee shared their reactions to the news of the late actor’s death on social media.
“Today we lost another #Glee cast member,” Glee producer Tim Davis tweeted. “Yes, he committed crimes against children. Yes, it’s horrific. But #MarkSalling was a broken man, no doubt an abuse victim himself. I loved Mark, and am sad when I consider the devastation of his parents. PLEASE withhold your cruel comments.”
In a second post also retweeted by Jane Lynch, he continued: “Let me be clear. Having compassion for #MarkSalling in no way minimizes his crimes, nor does it minimize the pain and devastation of the victims of those crimes. I’m just saying stop adding to his family’s pain. This was their son. If you’re without sin, feel free to cast stones.”
See the other social media responses from the Glee cast and crew below.
The news comes after the actor pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor October 4, 2017. He was due to be sentenced in March and was set to to serve between four to seven years behind bars.
“Mark is focused on accepting responsibility and attempting to atone for his conduct,” Proctor said in a statement to PEOPLE at the time.
Salling is best known for playing jock Noah “Puck” Puckerman on the hit show Glee between 2009-2015.
If you or someone you know needs help, contact Lifeline Australia on 13 11 14 or visit the website at lifeline.org.au. If it’s an emergency, call 000.
This article originally appeared on Who.
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