What Happened to ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’ Star Sawyer Sweeten? Inside His Death

As one of the most successful family sitcoms of all time, Everybody Loves Raymond amassed millions of fans and entertained audiences for nine seasons on CBS. One of the youngest stars of the show was Sawyer Sweeten, along with his twin brother Sullivan and sister Madylin, who met a tragic fate when he was just a teenager.

Let’s go inside the details of the young actor’s death 10 years later, including what led up to his passing.

On April 23, 2015, Sawyer was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head mere days before he was set to turn 20 years old.

Madylin was the first to publicly confirm his death in an official statement. “This morning a terrible family tragedy has occurred,” she said, per CNN.

“We are devastated to report that our beloved brother, son, and friend, Sawyer Sweeten, took his own life,” her statement continued. “He was weeks away from his 20th birthday. At this sensitive time, our family requests privacy and we beg of you to reach out to the ones you love.”

Sawyer was said to be visiting his family in Texas at the time of his death and shot himself on the front porch of the family home, per the outlet.

Four years after he died, the Los Angeles-based theater company, Loft Ensemble, dedicated the restoration of two old theaters to the memory of Sawyer in April 2019, according to People.

Renamed Sawyer’s Playhouse, the dedication plaque of the theater celebrated his memory.

"May this place be a light for all to find safety and friendship through creativity. Dedicated on April 23, 2019, by the Sawyer Sweeten Foundation, the Rosenthal Family Foundation, and Ray and Anna Romano," the dedication message read.

Older sister Madylin spoke at length about her late brother during the dedication ceremony and spoke about his love of the theater.

“He believed in things and in people, and it's what made him happiest," she said. "I think that's why he likes this place so much and why I feel him here. I feel him in the walls watching and guiding the young souls who come here who just need help believing.”

“My brother told me once that belief in any form is so powerful that it creates our reality and the next reality that we'll encounter, that believing in heaven and reincarnation is what makes it real,” Madylin continued. “That particular belief of his gives me the most joy because he believed in everything, so he is everywhere. I urge you, all of you, to come here and find him when you need a light and when you need to believe."

Per TMZ, his family said that Sawyer was known to his loved ones as a “very positive person” and that there were no signs of trouble in the months and days leading up to his death.

Today, over 10 years later, there has been no public explanation for why Sawyer died by suicide. However, his family continues to ensure that his memory lives on.