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Linkin Park on Chester Bennington’s death: He ‘fearlessly put demons on display’

Linkin Park’s band members are enduring “shockwaves of grief and denial” five days after vocalist Chester Bennington committed suicide in his California home.

The band behind early 2000s hits including “Breaking the Habit,” “Somewhere I Belong” and “Numb” commented on Bennington’s death for the first time Monday morning in a letter posted to its Facebook page. The letter also appeared on a new suicide-prevention website, chester.linkinpark.com, which Mike Shinoda, Brad Delson, Dave Farrell, Joe Hahn and Rob Bourdon made in tribute to the late singer.

“Our hearts are broken … You touched so many lives, maybe even more than you realized,” the statement read. “The family will never be whole without you.”

Bennington, 41, died by hanging himself in the bedroom of his Palos Verdes home, according to the Los Angeles County coroner’s office. He did not leave a note.

The singer’s long battle with depression and drug and alcohol abuse was put on display in several of Linkin Park’s well-known tracks, leaving the band to say it knew the “demons” that took Bennington were “always part of the deal.”

“After all, it was the way you sang about those demons that made everyone fall in love with you in the first place. You fearlessly put them on display, and in doing so, brought us together and taught us how to be more human. You had the biggest heart, and managed to wear it on your sleeve.”

Bennington’s death came one week before the band was to kick off a now-canceled, four-month-long North American “One More Light” tour, which was scheduled to stop at Citi Field on Friday. Refund options have been made available to fans.

As of now, the band isn’t sure what’s next for Linkin Park.

“While we don’t know what path our future may take, we know that each of our lives was made better by you,” the post read.