American rapper King Von, whose real name is Dayvon Daquan Bennett, shot dead outside a nightclub in Atlanta, Georgia, the incident involving the police, according to authorities.
The Atlanta police department said that it did not believe the rapper was shot by police, but instead in a shootout preceding police involvement.
The officials said in a statement, “At this time, our investigators believe Mr. Bennett was shot during the initial shootout between the two groups of males, prior to police responding and attempting to stop the shooting.”
The police said two groups of men outside the Monaco Hookah Lounge were arguing with each other at around 3.20 a.m. Two police officers, who were off-duty, were outside the lounge working an “extra job” at Monaco.
“The officers were in uniform and a marked [Atlanta police department] vehicle with its blue lights activated for visibility was parked nearby,” the authorities said.
The argument “quickly escalated to gunfire between these two groups,” the police said.
One on-duty officer and one of the two off-duty officers confronted the alleged shooters, stating, “shots were fired during the encounter.”
Von, 26, was rushed to the hospital in a private vehicle, according to the police. Three people, including the rapper, are dead.
Von, who hailed from Chicago, released his first mixtape, Grandson, Vol. 1 in September 2019, according to Pitchfork.
Fellow rapper, Chance The Rapper, expressed grief over Von’s death. He tweeted, “Wow. This year was so tough. rip von God bless him and his family I can’t believe it.”
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) will be investigating the incident.
“Six men were shot during the initial altercation and subsequent officer involvement,” the GBO said. “The three men who did not die from gunshot wounds have been hospitalized. The officers were not hurt.”
The bureau said, “The GBI will continue its independent investigation. Once the investigation is complete, it will be submitted to the Fulton county district attorney’s office for review.”
Atlanta police have also been investigating the deaths. The police said, “Part of the investigations will include determining which individuals were struck by gunfire from the suspects and whether any were struck by gunfire from the officers.” Ghazi Shami, who founded Von’s record label, wrote on Instagram, “My heart is heavy. Another young rising star gone too soon. I pray for your family lil bro. We have to find a better way. There is too much senseless violence. This has to stop. God help us. #RipKingVon.”
