Weapons & Guns

Kevin Gates claims everything's cool with fellow Louisiana rapper Boosie now, but he has a warning shot to anyone else thinking about doing him dirty.

The Baton Rouge MC sat down with Raquel Harper for a new episode of BET's "Raq Rants," and he insists rumors of a long-standing feud with Boosie are overblown. Boosie was tried and acquitted in the murder of one of Kevin's rap affiliates.

Kevin now claims he doesn't have problems with anyone, but also told Raq ... he wouldn't hesitate to "do a life sentence" if anyone tests him.

You gotta see how he says it. It's pretty intense, especially because his toddler son was sitting right next to him at the time.

For what it's worth, Boosie did seem to confirm they'd squashed all hate last year by recruiting Kevin to play his music festival.

The man charged in the kidnapping of 13-year-old Jayme Closs and the murder of her parents showed his face in court Monday, as cops said he planned the crime for weeks.

21-year-old Jake Patterson appeared by video in a Wisconsin courthouse. He did not enter a plea and his bail was set at $5 million. According to the criminal complaint ... Patterson made up his mind to abduct Jayme when he saw her getting on a school bus.

According to prosecutors, Patterson said, "He knew that was the girl he was going to take." He allegedly went to the Closs' home twice before Jayme's parents were killed and she was kidnapped on Oct. 15. The last time was one week prior, and he was scared off because the family had several guests.

According to docs, Patterson shot Jayme's father at the front door while she and her mother hid in the bathroom. He eventually broke down the bathroom door, bound and gagged Jayme, then fatally shot her mother.

While she was held captive, Jayme says Patterson made her hide under his twin-sized bed if he had any guests. She said his father frequently visited. She also says Patterson threatened, "bad things would happen to her" if she let anyone know she was there.

Closs was able to escape her captor last week about 70 miles north of her Wisconsin hometown. She says Patterson told her he was leaving for 5 hours, and when he did, she pushed the barbells and weighted totes he used to keep her under the bed ... slipped on a pair of his shoes and fled his house.

As you know, a neighbor found her wandering and called police. Jayme was reunited with her aunt, and Patterson was arrested shortly afterward.

Police have a connection from a member of R. Kelly's entourage to a shooting threat made during a screening of the "Surviving R. Kelly" docuseries ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... NYPD has Donnel Russell listed as a person of interest for the incident that went down last month in NYC. We know Russell is a business associate of Kelly. We're told police want to speak to him about the threats that were phoned into a theater as it was showing the Lifetime docuseries.

As we reported ...  someone called the NeueHouse just 20 minutes into the screening, and warned someone in the audience would start shooting up the place if the program continued. The venue was immediately evacuated.

Cops tracked the number down to a man with a Chicago-based 773 area code. We're told police have connected that number to Russell, and have attempted to make contact with him, but have had no luck thus far in reaching him directly.

Interestingly enough, the father of Joycelyn Savage, one of Kelly's alleged sex slaves, filed a police report last week in Georgia claiming a guy by the name of Don Russell texted him threats right before 'Surviving' aired on TV.

Our law enforcement sources tell us they believe that "Don" is the same Donnel Russell the NYPD is trying to contact.

Baker Mayfield will be hittin' dingers for a cause this weekend ... signing on to join Christian Yelich, Charlie Sheen and more in a celeb softball game to raise money for CA fire and shooting victims.

Yelich -- along with Ryan Braun, Mitch Moustakas and Jared Goff -- created the California Strong campaign in the wake of the recent tragedies. They're all from California and decided it was their duty to help out.

Besides launching a website and partnering with the YMCA, the guys decided to host a celeb softball game to help raise money for people affected by the Borderline shooting in Thousand Oaks and the wildfires that ravaged the state.

It's all going down at Pepperdine University on Sunday, January 13 -- featuring huge names like Reggie Miller, Justin Turner, Mira Sorvino, Camille Kostek, Rob Riggle and Patrick Schwarzenegger.

The cause hits home for Yelich ... who told us last month he would consider donating his MVP trophy to his old hot spot, the Borderline Bar, where 12 people were killed in November.

Props to all involved.

Lil Xan has one less thing to stress about as he completes rehab treatments ... because we've learned Xan and the St. Louis rapper who threatened him with gun violence are putting their beef behind them.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the criminal investigation into a series of threats against Xan is now closed. We're told Xan's camp and VladHQ had a sit-down ... and afterward informed police there was no desire to pursue criminal charges.

We broke the story ... VladHQ posted a disturbing video threatening Xan before an October performance in St. Louis. He also posted a pic of himself armed and threatened he would show up at the concert -- and that prompted the venue and promoters to cancel the show.

At the time, we were told the feud was over money. Sources close to the situation tell us ... Xan's associates told Vlad he was taking the wrong approach to settle their differences. Once Vlad made it clear he understood ... both sides agreed to squash the beef.

Win, win for both men -- after all, Xan has more immediate issues on his plate.

Louis C.K. is getting way too comfortable at the bottom of the comedy barrel ... so says Parkland Shooting survivor Cameron Kasky.

But, it's not Louis' latest lowbrow comedy routine attacking victims of the Parkland massacre that has Cameron upset ... the student activist is taking issue with Louis appealing to crowds who find jokes about transgender people and school shootings funny.

We got Cameron on Monday, after the father of one of his dead peers ripped into Louis for his leaked stand-up jokes about Parkland, and the Marjory Stoneman Douglas student calls out C.K. for targeting the lowest common denominator in order to make a quick buck.

Check out the clip ... Cameron throws some major shade at Louis, congratulating him for getting comfortable in his new digs at rock bottom.

Terrible news out of Florida after a police dog was shot and killed by a suspect ... and the K9 is being credited for saving the lives of officers.

The sad incident went down on Xmas Eve in Wellington, Florida ... where Palm Beach County Sheriffs confronted several individuals cops say were wanted on attempted first-degree murder and armed robbery warrants.

According to local reports ... one of the suspects ran and that's when Cigo -- a 3-year-old canine -- gave chase. But the suspect shot Cigo before a deputy returned fire ... hitting the suspect and severely injuring him. Cigo, however, would later be pronounced dead at an animal hospital.

Shortly after Cigo's death, several tributes were posted in honor of the fallen officer. The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office tweeted, "He gave his life to save others. He's a good boy and he will never be forgotten. Rest in Peace #K9Cigo."

The Sheriff's Office also posted this heartbreaking video of Cigo's handler devastated from the loss.

Tekashi69 was scared outta his mind after a shooting on the set of his music video ... but it had nothing to do with getting hit by bullets and everything to do with legal ramifications.

TMZ's obtained footage taken moments after 2 gunmen opened fire on the Beverly Hills mansion last November where Tekashi and Kanye West were set to film a music video. It's hard to see, but pay close attention to what you hear -- Tekashi desperately wanting to leave ... fearing his mere presence at the scene would put his then-newfound freedom in serious jeopardy.

You hear cops explain they found a 9mm and rifle rounds in the alley. They also explain how the house was intentionally targeted before saying they need to ID everyone. That's when you hear Tekashi -- sitting inside an SUV -- say, "ID me? I can't ... I'm on probation ... tell [the cops] I'm not here."

Tekashi's handler is also heard assuring Tekashi, word will NOT get out he was there. Remember ... the shooting went down just 2 weeks AFTER the rapper caught a huge break, when he was sentenced to 4 years probation in his child sex case.

As part of the deal, Tekashi was ordered to avoid all gang activity. The shooting, coupled with Tekashi at the scene, was a terrible look.

Nicki Minaj's new boyfriend wasn't just convicted of attempted rape -- he also went to prison for killing a guy ... and now we know the story behind his manslaughter conviction.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Nicki's new man, Kenneth Petty, rolled up on Lamont Robinson one early morning in April 2002 and opened fire on him on a street corner in Queens, NY.

We're told Petty drove to the crime scene with a group of cohorts, hopped out of the car, walked across the street where Robinson was hanging out, pulled out a gun ... and shot him in the stomach 3 times. Our sources say he then fled in the vehicle with the group.

We're told police who investigated the crime at the time did not believe robbery was a motive -- they suspected it to be a targeted hit over a gang beef. One investigator who was on the OG case told us he could only recall the shooting was over some "bulls***."

According to court docs, obtained by TMZ, Lamont -- who only survived for a short time -- ID'd Kenneth in a photo lineup when police went to question him in the hospital. The docs say he nodded his head to confirm Kenneth had shot him, as he couldn't speak. He died soon afterward.

Kenneth was initially charged with 2nd-degree murder, but pled guilty to a lesser charge of 1st-degree manslaughter. He served 7 years in prison, and got released in 2013.

As we reported ... Nicki's beau also did nearly 4 years behind bars after being convicted of attempted rape as a 16-year-old about a decade prior.

Like we've told you, Nicki isn't fazed by Kenneth's checkered past ... as we're told, she and Kenneth have already discussed having babies and getting hitched.

Rapper Juelz Santana has just been sentenced to 27 months behind bars in his airport drug case.

A judge handed down the sentence Wednesday morning in Newark, NJ. He'll also be under supervised release for 12 months after he's completed his time. No date was set on when the rapper will have to surrender.

TMZ broke the story ... Juelz was busted back in March after trying to take a loaded .38-caliber handgun and eight oxycodone pills in his travel bag at Newark International Airport. After TSA security found the gun, Juelz booked it but he later turned himself in.

The rapper -- a convicted felon -- ultimately pled guilty to unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a controlled dangerous substance.

On a recent episode of 'Love & Hip Hop,' Santana revealed he believed he'd get 27 to 37 months for the crime ... turns out, he was spot on.

Tekashi69 might have way more legal woes on the horizon than the full plate he's already dealing with, 'cause the feds are looking into the Chief Keef shooting case, in which cops think 6ix9ine implicated himself on tape.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the shooting case -- which has gone unsolved so far with the NYPD -- is now under review with federal prosecutors, who are combing over the evidence to see if it might lead to any additional charges.

We broke the stories ... police who've been investigating the June shooting in NYC already believe Tekashi was involved and might very well have put a bounty out on Keef's cousin, Tadoe, as the rainbow-haired rapper seemed to say in this clip.

We're told the video TMZ posted of Tekashi saying he's got a "30 pack" on Tadoe, with whom he'd just gotten off the phone, is a key piece of evidence the feds are looking at. And, remember, one of the guys who police say tailed Chief Keef prior to the shooting is a "known associate" with direct ties to Tekashi.

Ya know, Tekashi can't be happy to hear that. He's already facing a number of racketeering charges as it is.

A federal judge in Brooklyn says New York state's nunchucks ban -- made wildly popular in the U.S. by Bruce Lee in the '70s -- is unconstitutional because it violates the 2nd Amendment.

The judge says the right to bear arms is not limited to guns ... it applies to all weapons that have some legal purpose. In the case of nunchucks, Judge Pamela Chen says they have been widely used over many, many years for martial arts training and defense -- a perfectly legal activity.

Judge Chen says a weapon that has a legal purpose cannot be summarily banned under the 2nd Amendment. She says, the "relative dangerousness of a weapon is irrelevant when the weapon belongs to a class of arms commonly used for lawful purposes."

Her Honor draws a distinction between nunchucks and, say, pipe bombs, because the latter is really targeted for lawbreakers.

Jenelle Evans' husband says the Secret Service came to his home to question him about his gun-related social media posts directed at President Trump, but if they come back without a warrant ... he's not afraid to shoot the "motherf*****s."

David Eason just shared a series of gun-crazed vids that starts with what looks like a Secret Service vehicle leaving his property. The former 'Teen Mom' star claims they showed up unannounced because he posted a photo of bump stocks and hashtagged Trump and Nancy Pelosi ... which they deemed a threat.

Jenelle's husband explains he did that simply because the 2 want to ban bump stocks -- which he's strongly against -- but he wasn't threatening harm. It's interesting, though ... because he follows it up with a vid of himself shooting a target with a high-powered gun at close range.

He also went on a tirade about his, um, affection for guns and protecting his property ... making it clear he won't hesitate to shoot future trespassers and has PLENTY of ammunition to do so.

Seriously ... so much ammunition that he compared his home to a military base.

The unhinged vids come on the heels of another disturbing incident at the couple's North Carolina home in October, in which Jenelle made a hysterical 911 call claiming David attacked her and broke her collarbone.

She denied being in an abusive relationship days later, and Eason also shared a video showing everything was fine with their family.

The campus of Cal State Northridge is bracing for the worst after a 2nd eerily specific threat of a mass shooting on December 12.

The latest threat was a menacing letter found Monday night in Sierra Hall of the SoCal campus. The letter says, "I'm killing as many motherf***ers as I possibly can." It specifically targets teachers and professors "for making students depressed and giving us bulls**t work."

The writer also claims to have co-conspirators who will open fire that same day at nearby Northridge Academy High School.

Last week there was graffiti found in the same building -- a swastika and the words, "Mass shooting in Sierra Hall 12/12/18" were scrawled on a wall. Additionally, a bunch of swastikas and the Dec. 12 date were found in multiple campus buildings ... with no specific threat.

CSUN administrators say the campus will be open Wednesday, but with increased police presence.

Ex-porn star Mary Carey's new husband got put into handcuffs for carrying a beating stick -- which might sound kinda kinky -- but get your head outta the gutter.

Dr. Joseph Brownfield was busted Monday night at LAX as he and Mary were going through TSA. We're told agents pulled the good doc aside when they noticed a potential weapon in his carry-on ... which turned out to be a collapsible baton.

Unfortunately for Dr. B., it's illegal in California to carry one of those if you aren't law enforcement or a licensed security guard. He was booked for misdemeanor control of a deadly weapon. He was released form jail after posting a $5,000 bond the next day.

Sources close to the newly hitched couple tell TMZ ... Mary and her Mister are in the middle of moving from Cali to Florida, and he sometimes carries the baton for protection.

The Thousand Oaks bar where 12 people were killed in a shooting rampage nearly a month ago is making a valiant effort to return to normalcy. First order of business -- hosting country night again.

The Borderline Bar & Grill's management is bringing their popular Country Line Dancing Night to a new venue, because they're not yet ready to open their doors. The event will be held at The Canyon Club in Agoura Hills -- just a 9 minute drive away from Borderline.

The owners say The Canyon Club "graciously allowed us to set up shop and take over Thursday." The first country night is slated for December 20 with doors opening at 6 PM, dance lessons at 6:30 PM ... then line dancing, drinks and food until closing.

As we first reported ... Borderline plans to open again, but the owners don't have a timetable yet.

It's been closed since an ex-Marine stormed the bar last month and opened fire on tons of college students attending Country Night. Tamera Mowry's niece and a Ventura County Sheriff's sergeant were among the victims.