Chicago Rapper King Von Dead at 26
Police have made multiple arrests in connection with the shooting.
Early Friday morning (November 6th), Chicago rapper King Von died at the age of 26 after suffering injuries in a shooting in Atlanta. According to Atlanta's WSB-TV, the shooting left two other people dead and two in stable condition. Another person was struck by a car in the incident. The shooting involved two off-duty police officers.
According to Timothy Peek, deputy chief of the Atlanta Police Department, two separate groups got in a fight outside of Monaco Hookah Lounge in downtown Atlanta around 3 a.m. The altercation escalated into gunfire, at which point two off-duty police officers working security at the venue engaged.
Over the weekend, ABC 7 - Chicago reported that 22-year-old Timothy Leeks has been arrested and charged with felony murder in the case of killing Von. Other men at the scene have reportedly been arrested, but only Leeks faces a murder charge. Leeks and two others are currently in police custody at an Atlanta hospital, where he's being treated for a gunshot wound.
"That physical altercation escalated into an exchange of gunfire with those groups," Peek said. "Two police officers who were working at that particular club or lounge, noticed the altercation and engaged some of the people involved. There was an exchange of gunfire with police as well."
There was speculation the off-duty officers fired the shots that killed Von. Recorded audio of Chicago Police Department scanners seemed to back up that theory.
"Last night in Atlanta, the police shot King Von and two people...social media is active, they're upset with the police," one officer can be heard saying on the recording. He then warns officers to travel with backup in certain areas of Chicago. "Send two cars every time...be wary, they're not happy with the police over there."
Akademiks took to Twitter Friday afternoon to dispute the news. He said he spoke with Von's manager, who was injured in the incident and says APD officers weren't responsible.
"The officers did shoot," Peek continued, "but we want to ensure we look at the evidence and be able to prove who did what. That's why we are dependent on the GBI."
"Additionally, Mr. Bennett was not located at the scene," police said, "but arrived at a hospital shortly after the shooting via a private vehicle...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."
Von was signed to Lil Durk's Only the Family label, releasing his first project Grandson, Vol. 1 in 2019. He gained popularity in 2018 after his breakout single "Crazy Story." With the release of his third project, Welcome to O Block, last weekend, Von's stock was rising due to his penchant for storytelling.
In an interview on the Breakfast Club, Durk says he signed Von in an effort to keep him out of trouble. In June 2019, the two were arrested in connection to a shooting in Atlanta. Since the trial was ongoing, the two weren't allowed to associate with each other.
King Von's team at EMPIRE and Audible Treats released an official statement regarding his death on Friday.
“We are devastated by the untimely passing of King Von,” the statement reads. “He was a loving father, dedicated member of his community and an amazing talent that just started to scratch the surface of his boundless potential. Von overcame incredibly challenging circumstances as a young man, but never lost sight of what it meant to give back and uplift his community — O’Block. We are fortunate to have witnessed his growth and evolution, but know he had so much more to give to the world. The EMPIRE family offers our condolences to his family, friends, team and fans during this very difficult time."
Dozens of rappers expressed their condolences on social media.