Chicago rapper King Von is dead at the age of 26 following a shooting involving police in Atlanta.
As a result of an altercation that escalated to gunfire outside a nightclub in downtown Atlanta early Friday morning, three additional individuals have also been reported dead and three others as injured, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
During the early Friday morning shooting, two off-duty cops working security are reported to have tried to intervene, with eventual shots fired between the yet to be identified individuals. The initial report additionally noted that local authorities had been called to the club twice over a 24-hour period to investigate shootings, however there is no evidence that the two incidents are linked.
"That physical altercation escalated into an exchange of gunfire with those groups," Atlanta police Deputy Chief Timothy 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." The GA Bureau of Investigation has been enlisted to investigate.
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It is now known that two of the injured are now in stable condition and one remains hospitalized after being hit by a car.
While Von, whose real name was Dayvon Bennett, wasn’t entirely a household name yet, he was revered by many in the Hip Hop community. Many of which took to social media to express their shock and sorrow, including Lil Yachty, YG, his Chi-Town compatriot Chance The Rapper and more.
As news of the Chicago rhymer’s involvement in the shooting began to surface, his label offered an official statement confirming his unexpected passing.
"We are devastated by the untimely passing of King Von," the statement begins. "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.”
The statement continues, "We are fortunate to have witnessed his growth and evolution, but know he had so much more to give the world. The Empire family offers our condolences to his family, friends, team and fans during this very difficult time.”
The investigation into the shooting is ongoing.
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