Migos Rapper Takeoff Killed In Houston Shooting
Rapper Takeoff (Kirshnik Khari Ball) was shot dead on Tuesday in a bowling alley in downtown Houston. The rapper was a part of the Atlanta-based hip-hop band Migos, with Offset and Quavo.
Both the police and Takeoff’s attorney confirmed that the 28-year-old rapper had passed away. In a statement, his attorney, Drew Findling said, “Along with my firm, I am devastated by the tragic death of Kirshnik Ball, known to his fans as Takeoff.”
He added, “Takeoff was not only a brilliant musical artist with unlimited talent but also a uniquely kind and gentle soul. He will be greatly missed now and always.”
The rapper was attending a private party with his bandmate Quavo. There were 40 to 50 guests at the party, and someone opened fire.
The Houston Police Department arrived at the scene in response to shooting reports at 810 Billiards & Bowling, located at 1201 San Jacinto, at around 2:30 a.m.
When they arrived, the police found a large group surrounding a man with a gunshot wound to the head or neck. The man was identified as Takeoff and was confirmed deceased. The police said that after hearing the shooting, the security guards at the event reached the scene but did not see who did it.
Two other victims—a 23-year-old man and a 24-year-old woman—were injured and taken to nearby hospitals in private vehicles.
During an afternoon press conference on Tuesday, Troy Finner, Houston Police Chief, confirmed that Takeoff was dead. He pleaded with witnesses to come forward and share information about what took place.
“Every brother and sister in the neighborhoods, I’m calling you to action to step up,” Finner said. “There were 40 people at least at this event, and people left, possibly out of fear. I ask you one thing and want this to resonate with everybody, what if it was your brother or your son? You would want somebody to step up, so please step up and get the information to us, so we can bring closure to this family who is hurting right now.”
Mayor Sylvester Turner also urged witnesses to come forward with any information and help bring closure to the grieving family.
Investigators said they were questioning witnesses who fled from the scene and looking at nearby surveillance video to help them catch the culprit or culprits.
Just a few weeks ago, Takeoff and Quavo released their debut album, “Only Built for Infinity Links.” The third member, Offset, is married to Cardi B and released his solo in 2019.
As soon as the news came out, social media platforms flooded with tributes to the rapper.
Rapper Dave posted a series of photos of the deceased and himself on Instagram. He captioned them, “My brother… days we spent together were priceless.”
Another rapper, AJ Tracy, wrote, “Not Takeoff! RIP” on Twitter. Reality star Khloé Kardashian took to Twitter to exhibit her sadness and anger. She said, “This is so sad. Wow! Over what?? May God cover everyone who is in pain. These senseless acts have got to end. So so sad.”
Many other stars, including Khalid, Keri Hilson, Lil Pump, Ja Rule, Lauren Jauregui, and many others, expressed their grief over the tragic death of the 28-year-old rapper.
