Weapons & Guns

2:40 PM PT -- A spokesperson for Young Thug tells us he "did not get shot at ... somebody took a shot at the car DJ Keyz was in. He is fine. It was a minor injury and not serious. Young Thug was long gone and not involved."

Young Thug's car and 2 party buses filled with his team were targeted in a hail of bullets early Friday morning in Miami, according to multiple witnesses ... and 3 people were injured.

Witnesses tell TMZ ... Thug was riding in a Ferrari alongside the 2 buses on I-95 around 6 AM when someone pulled up next to them and opened fire. Law enforcement sources say 2 men and a woman who were on the buses were taken to hospitals with non-life threatening injuries.

Young Thug was not hit. While the witnesses say the rapper was on the scene when the bullets flew ... sources close to him say he had left the party an hour earlier.

It appears the whole group was on the way to the Miami Beach Hotel before the shooting went down. Young Thug had performed at LIV Nightclub Thursday night. He's scheduled to perform again Saturday at the Rolling Loud Festival in Miami.

Cops are investigating the shooting.

This is the second time this week a famous rapper's been targeted. As we first reported ... Offset escaped a shooting Wednesday night in Atlanta.

12:32 PM PT -- Darden just joined us on "TMZ Live" where he further explained his reason to back off of the case. He also said that while he's got a lot of haters ... his supporters really show out to help him as well. Darden hopes the same attention that people put into intimidating him off of the case will be used to stop violence in the streets.

Nipsey Hussle's alleged murderer is going to need a new lawyer -- Christopher Darden is quitting the case ... and it sounds like a wave of death threats to him and his family were just too much.

Darden says he's filed a motion to withdraw as Eric Holder's defense attorney. Holder happens to have a hearing scheduled for Friday in L.A. Superior Court, and Darden says it's the last time he will appear in court on the case.

Darden, who famously prosecuted O.J. Simpson in his double murder trial, says he's received death threats since taking Holder's case -- and the flood of hatred reminded him of the O.J. case. As he put it, "Just as they were in 1995-Cowards never change. These days these cowards don’t send letters instead they sit anonymously behind keyboards threatening a man’s mother and children."

Darden hinted he might reveal more in the future about exactly why he's bailing on Holder -- aka "Shitty Cuz" -- but made it clear to his haters that he won't forget ... "To those who issued those threats to my children please pay close attention so there is no misunderstanding. Later. F**K YOU!"

Truth is, Darden's been mercilessly berated ever since agreeing to defend the man accused of killing someone as beloved as Nipsey. One threatening tweet said, "Remember it was written in the book of life that the children shalt suffer from what the parents do."

But, Darden wants to make the point that under the Constitution, EVERYONE deserves a defense in court. He says, "After centuries of a history of black men hung from trees without trial, or after the thousands of cases of black men tried, convicted and executed without counsel ... I cannot understand why in 2019 some people would deny a black man his 6th Amendment right to counsel of his choice."

11:12 AM PT -- We've just obtained surveillance footage from the drive-by shooting ... and you can see someone hanging out of the passenger window of a car as shots ring out.

An Atlanta studio where Offset was recording got peppered with bullets Wednesday night in a drive-by shooting.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... cops responding to the shooting at the Crossover Entertainment Group studio Wednesday night were told by witnesses that Offset was there recording when the shots were fired into the building. Officers responded, but Offset was long gone by the time they arrived.

At least one witness felt the Migos rapper might have been the target of the shooting. So far, we're told cops have not spoken to Offset, but they'll likely reach out to him as they investigate.

According to Atlanta PD ... shots were fired at the building a little after 9 PM by passengers in the passing car. The bullets damaged 3 vehicles, as well as the building's exterior and at least one apartment window.

Cops received one report of someone getting shot in the leg, but officers were unable to locate a victim.

Our sources say the drive-by went down shortly after Offset went outside to chill for a few minutes. When the gunshots rang out, we're told people inside the studio rushed into another room for cover until things calmed down.

We're told there's surveillance footage of the vehicle cruising down the street and firing shots before speeding away.

The guy cops busted in that MASSIVE weapons raid in a ritzy L.A. neighborhood was also detained a couple years ago for allegedly intimidating a group of people ... at gunpoint.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the suspect, Girard Saenz, held up a team of house cleaners back in 2017 when he found them on a Malibu property owned by his longtime companion, Cynthia Beck.

Beck is the real estate mogul who also owns the Holmby Hills mansion where authorities arrested Saenz Wednesday and seized more than 1,000 firearms.

Our sources say Saenz happened to be driving by the property when he noticed the team of people removing items from the house. Cops say that's when he held them at gunpoint to investigate. Cops eventually intervened and took everyone back to the station to sort it out.

It turned out a property manager hired the team to clean the pad ... unbeknownst to Saenz. Beck -- who has 3 daughters with J. Paul Getty's son, Gordon Getty -- was apparently out of the country at that time too. Our sources say the cleaners decided NOT to press charges and the case was closed.

6:10 PM PT -- We're told one man was arrested inside the house for the crime of selling, possessing or transporting illegal assault weapons. We do not know if he was a squatter or had permission to live in the home. As we reported, the owner hasn't lived there in years and is now in Europe.

4:23 PM PT -- The ATF now says, "Pursuant to an anonymous tip ATF and LAPD became aware of an individual conducting illegal firearms transactions outside the scope of the federal firearm license that the individual possesses." The ATF says they have seized more than 1,000 firearms, adding the public is in no danger.

A massive stockpile of firearms has just been confiscated in a super rich area of Los Angeles ... and the sheer number of guns is jaw-dropping.

The weapons were recovered after a search warrant was served at a home in Bel-Air ... and the huge pile of guns are currently being laid out on the street.

It's all going down right now, near the Playboy Mansion and close to the estate where Michael Jackson died.

Cops got a tip that someone was in the house selling and manufacturing weapons. They are on scene right now.

There are 3 SUV's in the driveway and we know at least 2 are registered to a Cynthia Beck, who also owned the home and may still own it. We do not know if there is any connection between her and the weapons or the search warrant.

A person familiar with the neighborhood tells TMZ, Cynthia hasn't been seen at the house in years, and may be in Europe. The person adds there have been "caretakers" coming and going at the estate. It well could be ... someone knew Cynthia wasn't in the country and squatted in the house.

The Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is the lead agency. We're told they were doing surveillance Wednesday morning before making their move and they are still on the scene.

Our LAPD sources tell us as far as they can see they have not had any problems associated with the residence in question.

Ezekiel Elliott is covering funeral expenses for an 8th grade football star who was shot and killed by a stray bullet last weekend while leaving a party in St. Louis, sources confirm to TMZ Sports.

14-year-old Jaylon McKenzie was at a house party following a school dance late Saturday night when a fight broke out involving other people.

As McKenzie and others walked outside to leave the home, he was struck by a stray bullet and died at a nearby hospital a short time later, according to the Illinois State Police.

McKenzie was a rising star on the field, dominating as a running back, WR and defensive back. He reportedly had scholarship offers from the University of Missouri and University of Illinois.

He was also spotlighted by Sports Illustrated when he was 13 as a teen athlete to watch.

So, when Ezekiel Elliott -- who grew up in St. Louis -- heard about his passing, we're told the NFL star felt compelled to help McKenzie's family by paying for the funeral costs.

McKenzie's mother, Sukeena Gunner, spoke with the Belleville News-Democrat about Zeke helping out.

"For him to reach out to me was unbelievable," Gunner said ... "Jaylon loved Ezekiel Elliott. He talked about him all the time."

"Just for him to reach out to me and help me in this difficult time leaves me speechless."

David Eason, Jenelle Evans husband, who allegedly killed their family dog with a shotgun, made it clear to a photog in court Friday ... stay clear of him, or else.

Eason was in a North Carolina courtroom because he owed $5,187 in back child support. He had a deadline of Friday to pay up or possibly be held in contempt and go to jail. He showed up empty-handed, but the judge gave him a reprieve ... to come up with the money in the next few hours.

Eason left court, and a photog/reporter for WSFX tried asking him about killing his dog, but he wasn't having it and warned, "Don't get in my face, bro. I promise you don't want to do that."

Eason came back a short time later and paid the money.

He owed the money to Olivia Leedham, the mother of his 5-year-old son. Leedham claimed back in 2013, when she was 8 months pregnant he shoved her and also left her in the middle of the road when she was 7 months pregnant.

As for the dog ... we're told he was irate after the French Bulldog nipped at his daughter after she got in the dog's face ... beat the animal, and then shot it to death.

The same guy the FBI arrested for making death threats against conservative host Ben Shapiro also had his sights set on Jared Kushner and Donald Trump Jr. ... according to the feds, who say he was also building up an arsenal.

According to new legal docs ... the FBI arrested Chase Bliss Colasurdo Wednesday in Washington state after an investigation uncovered multiple serious death threats directed at President Trump's family members.

Authorities were tipped off in March about Colasurdo's alarming social media posts, in which he targeted Kushner and Trump Jr. by name. In February, he also sent an email to 5 different media outlets saying ... "I'm going to personally Execute [Kushner] for his countless treasonous crimes."

Around the same time, he posted a photo on Instagram of what appears to be himself holding a gun and captioned it ... "I made a death threat against [Kushner] yesterday and I have not been arrested yet."

As for Donald Jr. ... Colasurdo posted a photo of him in March and commented ... "I would just like to let the secret service know that I am going to Execute this fa***t."

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, FBI and Secret Service agents visited Colasurdo on March 19, and he claimed he'd been hacked -- but also stated he was diagnosed with mental health issues years ago.

The feds say his online rantings continued ... in fact, the very next week Colasurdo posted a pic of himself holding a handgun with the caption, "It's Time To Start Bombing Synagogues." He later made reference, in one of his posts, to the San Diego synagogue shooting.

Prosecutors say the FBI noticed in early April, Colasurdo was loading up on weapons, Kevlar body armor and ammo. The feds say after they arrested him on Wednesday ... they searched Colasurdo's home and found a massive cache which included night vision goggles, gas masks, 345 rounds of ammunition and LED laser mounts.

In addition to the gear, agents say they found Nazi flags, a framed portrait of Hitler and books that included, "Hitler's Revolution."

As we reported, law enforcement says Colasurdo also made death threats against Shapiro and his family.

1:30 PM PT -- The Columbus County Sheriff's Office just told TMZ they, along with the Columbus County Animal Control, have "initiated a joint investigation into allegations of animal cruelty. The investigation is ongoing."

1:11 PM PT -- A source close to Jenelle tells us right after Nugget nipped at his daughter, David brought the dog outside and continuously slammed him against their back deck ... from there, he took Nugget into a wooded area and shot him.

12:07 PM PT -- Law enforcement sources tell us Animal Control officers just went to Jenelle's home to do their check. We're told officers were able to drive onto the property through an open gate, but there was a grey pit bull on the porch and several "No Trespassing" signs.

Our source says the Animal Control officers -- fearing for their safety -- left the property and alerted the Sheriff's Department who, we're told, will now attempt to complete the visit.

We're told officers want to determine if Nugget is alive and whose name is on ownership papers for the dog ... from there, they'll be able to determine next steps.

Animal Control wants Jenelle Evans and David Eason to answer some questions about the death of their family dog, but that might be easier said than done ... based on David's history with unwanted visitors.

TMZ's learned that following the news that Jenelle's husband shot and killed her French Bulldog, Nugget -- for nipping their daughter, Ensley -- North Carolina's animal welfare hotline was flooded with calls about the incident.

We're told the Attorney General's Office received 138 complaints and referred them to Animal Control after review, and also informed the Columbus County Sheriff.

Sources connected to the case tell us Animal Control is sending an officer to the 'Teen Mom' couple's house Thursday with a mission -- confirm the dog is dead, and verify Jenelle and David have possession of the dog's corpse.

It's unclear what, if any, legal action could be taken after that -- but it likely won't be an easy visit for Animal Control. Eason reacted aggressively when authorities showed up at his home in December.

As we reported, he posted a series of gun-crazed videos after he said Secret Service drove up on his property to question him about some threatening social media posts. He said he wasn't afraid to shoot future trespassers ... and showed off his stockpile of ammo.

David's alarming behavior reached a new level Wednesday, when he practically admitted on Instagram to killing Nugget. Jenelle later confirmed it, claiming David dragged the dog into the woods and shot him.

Up to this point, David's gotten away with it. The Columbus Co. Sheriff's Dept. made it clear the only way they'll take action is if Jenelle files a police report. We were told they don't rely on "sensationalized" social media reports. We'll see if a report from Animal Control will change their mind.

3:20 PM PT -- Jenelle spoke with US Weekly about the incident, saying, "He just took her and shot her in the woods, about two acres away from the house."

As we reported, local law enforcement said they won't act on the killing until Jenelle comes to them to report the crime ... one source we spoke to said media reports and social media postings aren't enough to trigger an investigation.

Jenelle also told US, "At this time, we are dealing with this rough situation. I want to focus on what's best for me and my kids."

9:45 AM PT -- Police went to Jenelle and David's house Tuesday night to perform a welfare check on Ensley. Officers found everyone, including Ensley, was okay.

As for the dog -- a law enforcement source tells TMZ ... David told cops Nugget was alive, although he would not let them see the dog. We're told cops have no evidence showing anything happened to the dog.

The Columbus County Sheriff's Dept. says it's contacted Animal Control, but as far as any further investigation from cops ... our source says Jenelle would need to make a report on her own. We're told officers won't act on "sensationalized media reports or social media posts." The source said it's irrelevant to cops what Jenelle says on IG.

Meanwhile, PETA says it hopes charges are filed against Eason if it's true he shot Nugget. They say, "People who abuse animals typically don't stop there."

"Teen Mom" star Jenelle Evans is heartbroken over the death of her dog, which was shot and killed by her husband ... who is defending his disturbing move in the name of protecting his family.

David Eason admits he killed the family's French bulldog, Nugget, because it bit the couple's 2-year-old daughter, Ensley. He shared a video that appears to show the dog snapping at Ensley as she's moving closer to its face for a kiss.

David explained his decision to put the dog down, saying ... "I dont give a damn what animal bites my baby on the face... whether it be your dog or mine, a dog is a dog and I dont put up with that s**t at all."

A photo of Ensley's face after the incident shows a red mark, but there's no apparent break in her skin.

Eason added ... "I'm all about protecting my family, it is my lifes mission. Some people are worth killing or dying for and my family means that much to me. You can hate me all you want but this isnt the first time the dog bit Ensley aggressively. The only person that can judge weather or not a animal is a danger to MY CHILD is ME."

Jenelle doesn't seem to be on the same page as her husband at all. She just shared a photo of Nugget sitting in the car with her, along with a message suggesting she believes they should have simply trained the dog to stop biting.

She wrote ... "Nugget... I'm crying everyday. I love you so much and I'm so sorry. I'm speechless," and added, "You still had a lot to learn and a lot to grow from your lessons."

Jenelle says she's heartbroken and distraught, and there are reports she fled their home after the incident.

11:42 AM PT -- According to our NYPD sources, Octavia is now a person of interest and wanted for questioning in the case.

Sebastian Telfair's estranged wife claims the NBA star's sister threatened to "kill my kids and cut my face" ... all because she testified against Sebastian in his NYC gun case.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... the LAPD responded to a call last week from Samantha Telfair, who claims Octavia Telfair called her roughly 52 times making various threats ... including a threat to "Slice [her] face and kill [her] children."

Samantha told cops Octavia was furious that Samantha took the stand earlier this month and told prosecutors she had seen Sebastian with multiple weapons, including the gas-operated submachine gun he was allegedly carrying when he was arrested in June 2017.

Sebastian -- a former NBA prodigy who flamed out -- was convicted in his gun possession case last week and now faces up to 15 years in prison when he's sentenced in June.

Samantha lives in L.A. which is why the LAPD is involved. We're told officers took a criminal threats report and the LAPD is now investigating.

We're told Octavia is believed to live in New York -- and sources tell us the NYPD is also involved in the investigation because Samantha filed an aggravated harassment report in New York as well.

Attempts to reach out to Octavia for comment were unsuccessful.

As we previously reported, Telfair -- a 33-year-old former high school phenom who spent 12 seasons in the NBA -- was arrested in June 2017 in Brooklyn when cops found several weapons during a traffic stop.

Officials say Telfair had 3 pistols and what appeared to be a semi-automatic rifle along with a ton of ammo and a bulletproof vest ... as well as some weed.

Waka Flocka Flame is no longer performing at a free concert for students at UNC Charlotte ... the show's canceled following a deadly shooting on campus.

Waka was scheduled to perform Tuesday night at Jerry Richardson Stadium on campus, but the concert just got scrapped. The University remains on lockdown after 2 people were shot dead and 4 others were injured in the shooting.

Waka says he's praying for everyone affected by the shooting ... and says he wasn't aware of the tragic news until he landed in Charlotte ahead of his scheduled gig. Waka says he wasn't even going to be able to make it to the venue.

Soulja Boy was just smacked with a sentence of 240 days in jail and 265 days of community service for violating his probation.

Soulja was in court Tuesday -- and while his attorney said the rapper's had an "awakening" during the last 20 days he's been locked up -- it clearly wasn't enough to convince the judge to let him go easy. Soulja will start the sentence right away ... and has credit for 40 days served.

The judge told Soulja he was originally considering sentencing him to 2 years in state prison but decided to give him some leniency. The judge also acknowledged that Soulja's missed out on business opportunities while behind bars.

As we reported ... the rapper was taken into custody earlier this month after the judge said he failed to do his court-ordered community service and even conspired to falsify evidence he had completed it.

Not helping matters ... Soulja's crib in Agoura Hills was raided in February and cops found ammunition during the search. Cops had initially gone there to investigate a claim by one of his ex-girlfriends that Soulja tied her up and held her captive in his garage.

The ammunition turned out to be the start of Soulja's real troubles. Having possession of ammo is a huge no-no 'cause Soulja's on probation for a weapons case that dates back to 2014.

He bragged about not going out like Tekashi 6ix9ine but the laughter didn't last long ... 'cause he's been held without bail since the April 11 arrest.

Corey Ballentine, who was just drafted by the New York Giants, is recovering from a gunshot wound he suffered in a shooting that killed his former college teammate.

Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas says Ballentine was injured in the off-campus shooting that killed the 23-year-old junior defensive back, Dwane Simmons. The school says Ballentine, a 6th-round pick by the Giants, is expected to make a full recovery.

Ballentine's gunshot wound is reportedly non-life threatening and the cornerback is expected to be back on the field in a few weeks.

The Giants drafted Ballentine with the 180th overall pick in the 6th round of the NFL Draft on Saturday, and the shooting happened early Sunday morning, according to the school.

Bun B didn't just defend his wife and home when a masked man with a gun tried to rob them ... we're told he chased the guy down and unmasked him to make sure his ass was going to jail.

The Houston rapper's lawyer, Charles Adams, tells TMZ ... Bun and his wife, Queenie, met with the District Attorney this week to discuss the incident, and they have been reassured they are being treated as victims in the case.

We're told everything they've reported lines up with law enforcement's investigation, and the suspect, Demonte Jackson, is facing 3 first-degree felonies -- 2 counts of aggravated robbery with a weapon and one count of burglary.

Adams tells us Bun B wasn't specifically targeted by the intruder -- he was going house to house in the neighborhood and Bun's wife happened to answer the door.

We broke the story ... Queenie offered up her Audi in the garage to the suspect, which is where Bun confronted him and a gunfight ensued. Adams says after the man escaped and left his gun behind ... Bun hopped in his car and pursued him.

We're told the rapper caught up and held the guy at gunpoint ... then made him take off his mask so he could identify him. The suspect then escaped again.

12:22 PM PT -- The U.S. Attorney's Office says it's not moving forward with charges at this time, but the investigation is continuing.

11:21 AM PT -- We just got this video of Kodak before his show in D.C. and he's grabbing some seafood down the street from the concert venue ... and the sighting is from around the same time the tour bus raid was starting.

7:00 AM PT -- According to cops, they confiscated 4 Glock handguns with magazines. Five people were arrested -- none of them Kodak -- and all were booked for carrying a pistol without a license and possession of large capacity magazines.

Police emphasized they can't confirm the raided bus was Kodak's ... only that it was connected to the show.

4/25 -- A rep for Kodak tells TMZ, "Kodak was 100% not arrested, he is en route to NYC for his sold out show tomorrow night at United Palace."

A tour bus parked outside Kodak Black's Washington D.C. concert just got raided by the FBI and local police while the rapper was inside the venue performing.

You can see in the photos -- obtained by TMZ -- several FBI agents standing outside the bus ... we're told those who were inside the bus were placed in handcuffs and brought outside the vehicle. It's currently unclear if the bus was Kodak's, belonged to crew or other members of the tour.

The agents searched the luggage underneath the bus, everything inside, and the area surrounding the bus is completely roped off.

Sources on scene tell us the feds attempted to enter the venue -- The Anthem -- where Kodak was performing, but promoters did not allow them inside.

It's another possible black eye for Kodak's tour ... as we first told you, Kodak was arrested just last week on weapons and gun charges at the Canada-U.S. border on his way from Detroit to Boston between shows. Cops say they found weed and a gun in the car he was driving.

We reached out to the FBI and local authorities ... so far, no word back.