'Star Trek' Actor Jon Paul Steuer's Cause of Death Revealed

In January, news broke of the tragic death of 33-year-old former actor and Jon Paul Steuer, who was the first actor to play Worf's son Alexander Rozhenko in Star Trek: The Next Generation. We now also know the cause of Steuer's death.

Steuer died on New Year's Day in Portland. The Blast reportedly spoke to Portland Police, who revealed Steuer's death was ruled a suicide by self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Unfortunately, this adds Steuer to a list of celebrities who have taken their own lives in 2018, including Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain.

Steuer played Alexander in the Star Trek: The Next Generation Season Four episode "Reunion." The role was recast in future appearances. He also appeared in 73 episode of Grace Under Fire and in the film Little Giants.

Steuer retired from acting and chose to focus on music instead. He performed in and around Portland with his band PROBLEMS and DJed. Following Steuer's death, his bandmates shared a heartfelt tribute to Steuer on social media:

"It is with heavy hearts and saddened minds that we announce the passing of our dear friend and singer Jonny Jewels, AKA Jon Paul Steuer. The addition of Jonny to our dysfunctional band family was one of the best choices that we have ever made, and he brought a much needed sense of fun and lightheartedness to everything we did. He was only with us for a little more than a year, but we managed to cram a lifetime of great experiences into his tenure as our singer: dozens shows at home in Portland and across several states, an amazing European tour, and our best full-length release yet.

We've lost our singer, but far, far more than that we've lost a friend.
Rest in peace, Jonny...we love you."

Steuer also opened a vegan restaurant in Portland in 2015 called Harvest at the Bindery.

A recent report from the CDC claims the suicide rate in the United States has risen nearly 30% since 1999. The study cites poor mental health conditions as one major, key contributing factor to the epidemic.

If you or someone you know needs help, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).