Mike Shinoda Shares His First Photo With Chester Bennington

Linkin Park co-vocalist Mike Shinoda posted the first photo he ever took with the late Chester Bennington and shared the story of how he joined the band. 

"We had just told Chester that we wanted him to join the band. He said he was ready to move out from Arizona to L.A. We went to a pizza place near UCLA to hang out and talk about what to do next," Shinoda said in his caption. "The band was called Xero at the time, and we probably had less than a half a dozen songs. No flame tattoos yet, no red hair yet, most of us were still in college," he continued. 

Linkin Park has released an official statement on Bennington's suicide, saying, "Our hearts are broken." The statement continues, "the shockwaves of grief and denial are still sweeping through our family as we come to grips with what has happened." They have also setup a tribute site where fans can leave messages at Chester.LinkinPark.com.