24-year-old Maryland rapper Goonew, real name Markelle Morrow, was shot and killed on March 19 in Prince George's County, and memorial services were held for him at Bliss Nightclub in Washington, D.C. on Sunday.
What actually transpired was unexpected and very alarming.
During the event, Goonew's body was propped up and put on display on the stage.
Videos of the memorial service were posted online, as one clip has more than 3 million views on Twitter, and shows Goonew's body on the stage, fully dressed, while friends and family members partied in the club.
Bliss management posted a statement to Twitter on Monday, apologizing for what happened and adding that they were not aware of the plans to put his body on the stage for everyone to see.
"Our deepest condolences to Goonew's family, friends, and fans. Bliss was contacted by a local funeral home to rent out our venue for Goonew's home-going celebration. Bliss was never made aware of what would transpire. We sincerely apologize to all those who may be upset or offended. Please keep Goonew's family and friends in your prayers at this difficult time. Respectfully, Bliss Management."
The video even caught the attention of Grammy Award-winning rapper and entrepreneur 50 Cent, who tweeted, "oh s**t ! i just realized what this is," with a palm face emoji.
A source told The Shade Room that there was a $40 cover fee to attend the event, according to Fox 5 DC.
XXL Mag reported details of the description for the event from the EventBrite listing, which didn't look out of the ordinary or mention anything about Goonew's body being put on display.
Fellow rapper Black Fortune, who has a handful of songs with Goonew, posted to his Instagram story after seeing the videos, saying, "No this ain't no wax figure my Brodie went out gansta," per XXL Mag.
Goonew's murder is still being investigated by Prince George's County Police Department's Homicide Unit, and they are offering a $25,000 reward for any information leading to an arrest of the shooting's suspect.
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