( CNN ) Sawyer Sweeten grew up before the eyes of millions as a child star on the endearing family sitcom `` Everybody Loves Raymond . '' Early Thursday he committed suicide , his sister Madylin Sweeten said in a statement . He was 19 . `` This morning a terrible family tragedy has occurred , '' Madylin Sweeten said in a statement passed on by her manager Dino May . `` 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 . '' Sweeten , best known for his role Geoffrey Barone , was visiting family in Texas , entertainment industry magazine Hollywood Reporter reported , where he is believed to have shot himself on the front porch . Sawyer Sweeten was born in May 1995 in Brownwood , Texas . He was a year and a half old when he started on `` Raymond , '' playing next to his real-life twin brother Sullivan , who starred as Michael Barone , according to the website IMDb . Their sister , Madylin , played their TV sister Ally Barone . The show was about the adults , and the children , especially the twins , had bit parts , adorable cameo moments . In the beginning , they were too young to speak . The series developed a loyal following and ran from September 1996 through May 2005 . According to his IMDb profile , Sawyer did not appear to take on acting roles after `` Raymond '' was discontinued . CNN 's Sonya Hamasaki contributed to this report .
Sawyer Sweeten played across from his twin brother and their sister as the children of Ray and Patricia Barone . Report : Sweeten was visiting family in Hollywood and is believed to have shot himself .