Fans of the CBS sitcom 'Everybody Loves Raymond' where shocked to learn that 19-year-old actor Sawyer Sweeten, who portrayed the role of one of the twin sons of Ray Barone (Ray Romano) in the series, allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself in the head on his family's porch in Texas on Thursday.

Since, the cast of the series, which ran for nine seasons from 1996 to 2005, reacted to this tragic loss on Friday, reports IB Times.

Ray Romano, co-creator of 'Everybody Loves Raymond' and Sweeten's TV father in the series, issued a statement on Friday reacting to the tragedy. Entertainment Tonight quoted Romano as stating, "I'm shocked, and terribly saddened, by the news about Sawyer," adding, "He was a wonderful and sweet kid to be around. Just a great energy whenever he was there. My heart breaks for him, his family and his friends during this very difficult time."

Similarly, Patricia Heaton, who portrayed the character of Debra Barone, Sweeten's TV mother, took to her Twitter handle to express her sympathy for Sweeten's family as well as her affection for the young actor. She tweeted, "The entire cast of #EverybodyLovesRaymond is in shock. Prayers for the Sweeten family."

Doris Roberts, who portrayed Sweeten's TV grandmother Marie Barone, issued a statement on Facebook echoing the importance of family during hard times. She wrote, "It is with great sadness that I learned the news that Sawyer Sweeten, who played my grandson Geoffrey Barone on 'Everybody Loves Raymond,' died at his family's home in Texas," adding, "He was a very sweet young man who will be dearly missed. Make sure your loved ones know how much you care about them, and please check in with them if you haven't touched base with them for a while. It's very important to keep in touch."

Meanwhile, Sweeten's sister Madylin, who also featured on the show portraying the character of Ally Barone's eldest daughter, was the first to confirm the terrible news to the public. She released a statement to the press late Thursday night.

Madlyin Sweeten's statement read, "This morning a terrible family tragedy has occurred." She added, "We are devastated to report that our beloved brother, son, and friend, Sawyer Sweeten, took his own life. 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."

Incidentally, Sawyer Sweeten did not act since 'Everybody Loves Raymond' went off the air in 2005. He was last seen publicly with sister Madylin and his brother Sullivan at the TV Land Awards in 2010.