A tumultuous year for rapper Troy Ave almost came to a tragic end on Christmas Day, as the rapper has survived a shooting attempt 0n his life in Brooklyn.
New York Daily News reports that Troy Ave was attacked while he was sitting in a car in East Flatbush on Sunday afternoon, around 4:20 p.m. Police sources said that he was grazed in the head and shot in the arm.
His lawyer, John Stella, said that Troy Ave and his girlfriend were sitting at a traffic light when a gunman, who had his face covered with a hoodie, began shooting through the driver's side window.
“He looked to his left. He saw that the guy had a gun and was about to fire, and he started driving away,” Stella said. “He continued driving and he reached the point where he was bleeding pretty profusely, and apparently a good Samaritan drove him and his girl a couple of blocks the rest of the way to Brookdale (Hospital).
“He’s in pain, but he’s grateful," Stella added. He said to me that he feels blessed that this wasn’t fatal in the end.”
Troy Ave is out on $500,000 bail after being arrested in May for a shooting at a T.I. concert that took the life of his bodyguard Ronald McPhatter. He was charged with one count of second-degree attempted murder and three counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. He is due back in court on Thursday, Jan. 26.
He has given a plea of not guilty, contending that he fired in self-defense after taking the gun away from the man who shot McPhatter. Troy Ave is also suing Irving Plaza and Live Nation, charging that the concert venue and its parent company's lax security measures led to the shooting.
Lawyer Scott Leemon said that in both cases, his client Troy Ave "is a victim," and that loved ones are praying for his recovery.
“Tonight, Troy Ave was targeted again... on Christmas. In Brooklyn, going to meet his family for the holiday, he was shot two times," Leemon said in a written statement. "Thankfully, he will survive the second attempt on his life.”
Despite the May shooting and legal issues, Troy has kept busy musically. He has released three projects since the incident: Free Troy Ave, Roland Collins, and the the latest installment of his annual holiday mixtape series White Christmas 4.
