Weapons & Guns

Letrell Duncan -- one of the best young high school basketball players in New Jersey -- was shot and killed on Monday, authorities said.

He was just 16 years old.

Officials in Essex County, NJ told multiple media outlets that Duncan -- a sophomore at East Orange Campus High School -- was shot four times at around 3:15 PM near his H.S. He was rushed to a nearby hospital ... but tragically succumbed to his injuries.

Authorities told NJ.com no arrests have been in the case ... though investigators are looking for "a group of people and a vehicle seen in the area at the time of the shooting."

Anyone with information is being urged to call 1-877-847-7432.

Duncan, a point guard, was considered a top talent in the state. His AAU team, Garden State Bounce, had described him as a "floor general, team captain, and the best point guard our program has seen."

"He was an excellent teammate," the team added in a social media post mourning his loss, "a great friend, and a coach's ideal player."

City officials, meanwhile, said in a statement on Tuesday that Duncan's death "has shaken our community to its core." They said police patrols in schools would be increased in wake of the tragedy -- and vowed to take "aggressive action" when it comes to the fight to end gun violence.

A GoFundMe for Duncan's family has been set up -- and has already raised nearly $5,000.

Elon Musk's father fancies himself a real-life Dirty Harry or Rambo-like figure -- he's recounting how he once took out a mob of home intruders ... all by himself.

The way Errol Musk describes the 1998 incident really does sound like a Hollywood action movie -- he and his then 6-year-old daughter, Ali, were in his South African home ... and while she was taking a bath, he encountered 7 armed men in another part of the house.

The 76-year-old told The Sun the gang immediately opened fire on him, but just like in the movies ... he miraculously dodged all the bullets, retreated to a bedroom and grabbed a .357 Magnum handgun.

Errol says his gun was loaded with hollow point bullets, and his very first shot went straight through one intruder's head, and the shrapnel entered another's chest. He says both men were killed. At that point, he says the rest of them fled, but he managed to shoot one more in a hallway.

Completing the scene ... Errol says Ali -- who'd be in the bathtub -- came out after hearing the shootout, and clung to her father's leg. Mr. "Lethal Weapon" says he was acquitted of manslaughter charges for the incident, on the grounds of self-defense.

Errol's heroic tale comes on the heels of Elon recently tweeting a reminder to the world that he and his father are estranged.

The billionaire tycoon said his dad ran out of money in the '90s, and he and his brother financially supported him on the condition that he "not do bad things." Unfortunately, according to Elon, he did do bad things.

Elon's point seemed to be dad isn't keeping up his end of the bargain.

As for Errol's marksmanship ... he says he once won the South African National Defence Force's shooting championships.

A Montana woman is in hot water after she proudly displayed the carcass of a dog she killed, and then skinned ... thinking it was a baby wolf, and the public is irate.

Her name is Amber Rose (no relation to the famous one) and she announced her kill recently on Facebook, posting a series of very graphic photos where she showed off the dead pooch -- before and after it was reduced to a fur rug in the bed of her pickup truck.

She wrote, "So this morning I set out for a solo predator hunt for a fall black bear however I got the opportunity to take another predator wolf pup 2022 was a great feeling to text my man and say I just smoked a wolf pup. #firstwolf #onelesspredatorMT."

The horrifying kill went down somewhere in Montana's Flathead County, and the local Sheriff's Office, Animal Control and Fish and Game agencies all tell us they're aware of it ... and have launched investigations that are ongoing.

There's no word yet on what, if any, legal/criminal repercussions Rose might face ... but it's clear folks in the area are already up in arms and want her to pay. Several Facebook users say they've filed complaints demanding she be held accountable. The general consensus is how could she not know this was someone's Siberian husky, and NOT a wolf???

Rose is defending herself amid all the backlash ... insisting she was in the right here.

Rose took to FB to tell everyone she did, in fact, have a wolf tag -- licensing her to hunt the animal -- while also explaining ... yes, she made a mistake. Despite that admission, she says she'd do it all over again, because she claims the husky was acting wild, aggressive and charging her. From her POV, she had every right to protect herself -- wolf or not -- so she didn't break any laws.

Still, many who are doing comparisons between huskies and wolves note the latter tend to be much larger, and have a different look than your average husky.

Alec Baldwin could be facing criminal charges in connection to the fatal 'Rust' shooting -- because the D.A. is asking New Mexico for help in financing several potential prosecutions.

District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies reportedly filed an emergency request last week, asking the New Mexico Board of Finance for extra funds to assist in bringing up to four possible criminal cases that may materialize from her office's investigation into the death of Halyna Hutchins.

Carmack-Altwies got half of what she wanted --  according to the Santa Fe New Mexican, she was awarded $317,000 in relief ... although she had asked for $635k -- which is what her office estimated it would cost to handle the would-be cases.

The D.A. has since said that she'll be seeking the remainder of the dough through a special appropriation request -- which suggests she may actually need the full amount to bring any charges related to the fatal incident on the 'Rust' set.

Now, while the D.A. isn't definitively naming names in any potential charges -- her office is explicitly saying Baldwin could be on the chopping block. The docs they filed, cited by SFNM, reportedly say ... "One of the possible defendants is well known movie actor Alec Baldwin."

It's unclear what sort of charges he (or others) might face, but the D.A. told local media she was considering all homicide statutes as well as gun statutes under the NM criminal code.

Baldwin has maintained that Halyna's death was an accident, and not his fault in the slightest ... deflecting blame to other crew members, whom he says should've checked the gun to make sure it wasn't loaded and was functioning properly. He claims he didn't pull the trigger, but rather ... that the gun went off on its own after he pulled back the hammer.

A couple things to note about the D.A.'s move here -- Carmack-Altwies says she's expecting the final report from the Sheriff's Office soon ... but it sounds like she's been in the loop along the way, because she's already signaling the exact number of possible defendants. Her request also notes this is urgent, and the cases would need to be dealt with immediately -- hence her emergency request for a ton of cash.

A Michigan radio host was murdered Friday after he and his family were savagely attacked in their home by a guest who then tried to kill himself, this according to local reports.

WWJ 950 overnight anchor Jim Matthews was with his girlfriend and 2 children in their Detroit-area condo around noon when they allegedly invited over a man who lives across the street. Neighbors had seen the man with Matthews' girlfriend in the past.

What happened next was still under investigation ... but Matthew's girlfriend and his 5-year-old daughter made it out of the condo alive and flagged down someone driving by. His girlfriend had been stabbed several times and his daughter was injured as well.

After the driver called 911, Chesterfield Township officers responded to the apartment and had to force their way inside, finding Matthews dead. His 10-year-old boy was discovered bound and beaten inside a closet.

What's more ... police went to the basement where they encountered the suspect -- who was overdosing on heroin after sustaining self-inflicted wounds.

Matthews' girlfriend and son were listed in critical condition at the hospital. His daughter was in stable condition.

The suspect was given Narcan to save his life. He, too, was hospitalized in stable condition.

As for Matthews, WWJ Newsradio 950 issued a statement ... “There have been many tears shed in our newsroom today and Jim will be greatly missed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Jim’s family and friends during this difficult time.”

Authorities did not release a motive and were weighing criminal charges.

The brother of slain boxer Isiah Jones has been arrested and charged with murder ... after prosecutors say he shot and killed the fighter following a dispute earlier this week.

According to officials, Timothy Lyman is accused of getting into an argument with Jones at around 6:20 PM on Monday in Detroit ... before shooting him in the face and fleeing the area.

Authorities say Jones was found unresponsive at the scene and was later pronounced dead.

Lyman was arrested on Wednesday -- and, according to prosecutors, he's now been charged with one count of second-degree murder, and one count of felony firearm.

He's due in court for a hearing in the case later Thursday.

According to Roshawn Jones, Isiah's longtime boxing trainer, Isiah was a "very great father" who "provided for his kids."

"He was a hard worker," Roshawn added in an interview with The Ring after the boxer's death. "Everyone is not perfect in life but he was a good human being. He’d make you smile and laugh and was a great role model in the gym."

Isiah -- a National Golden Gloves winner -- turned pro in 2016, and piled up a 9-7 record.

Roshawn has set up a GoFundMe for the fighter, explaining the money will go toward his funeral and his kids.

Ludacris' manager, Chaka Zulu, has been arrested for murder in connection with the fatal shooting of a man outside his restaurant -- but new video from the incident shows Zulu getting beaten by a group of men before he fired -- giving way to a self-defense argument.

We've obtained surveillance footage recorded June 26 outside Zulu's Atlanta restaurant Apt4B. A group of men, including Artez Benton -- who was killed in the melee -- arrive to Apt4B, park in the valet area and make their way inside. 10 minutes later, the men leave the restaurant after some sort of dispute.

That's where the video starts. Zulu, who was previously in the parking lot speaking to a friend, starts making his way back toward the restaurant ... when he gets into a heated exchange with Tre'mon Robinson, one of the guys who was told to leave the restaurant.

During the argument, a man named Corey Crawford is seen retrieving something out of a vehicle. A source directly connected to the case tells us Zulu's legal team believes Crawford was getting a gun.

Robinson motions to his friends to come over and then appears to chest bump Zulu ... and that's when all hell breaks loose.

Chaka grabs Robinson, but Crawford and Benton jump in and they all begin pummeling Chaka. At one point, Chaka's female assistant (in the orange shirt) attempts to help Chaka, but Robinson punches her in the face ... knocking her to the ground.

Crawford ducks for cover behind two vehicles, and that's when shots ring out. It appears Chaka is the first to fire, striking Benton ... a plume of smoke is visible from Chaka's gun. Another plume of smoke appears to emanate from Crawford's gun. It appears he fired several shots and one hits Chaka in the back.

Benton was hit in the chest ... you see him crawl away. He later died from his injuries.

As we reported, Chaka's been arrested for murder, aggravated assault, simple battery and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. He turned himself into authorities last week, but from the beginning, he's maintained he acted in self-defense.

Roddy Ricch is calling his hometown a danger zone in the wake of PnB Rock’s slaying inside a beloved L.A. restaurant.

The Compton-bred rapper admitted his PSA was a bit out of the ordinary for him, but felt the need to speak out as things continued to spiral.

He posted ... "LA ! Usually I try to mind my business and let the world rotate but we gotta do better ... It’s too much senseless violence. Too much opportunity and motivation to take things other people work hard for. It’s too much life to live to take someone else’s away."

In addition to PnB Rock's murder last week, Los Angeles has seen an upswing in violent crimes ... including armed robberies and burglaries, and Roddy's calling it out.

He added, "I love my city but we can’t keep going out like this. Before you know it, it’ll be nobody left to take from or kill. Let’s stay on point stay aware and find better ways to pursue our dreams because this shit turning into ALL NIGHTMARES."

Roddy and PnB were friends and former labelmates at Atlantic Records where they collaborated on PnB’s 2019 album "TrapStar Turnt PopStar."

LAPD's investigating potential motives in the case … including the possibility PnB’s murder was preplanned and detectives are examining his lyrics for clues to any potential beefs.

Boxer Isiah Jones was shot and killed on Monday after a dispute with a family member, his trainer, Roshawn Jones, announced Tuesday. He was 28 years old.

Roshawn confirmed the tragic news in an emotional Instagram post showing highlights of his fighter ... saying, "Isiah, Lost his life yesterday in a tragic event!"

"Please keep his family in your prayers to help them get through these rough times!"

Roshawn shared more details surrounding the boxer's death with The Ring ... telling the outlet Isiah was shot in the head after an argument with a family member.

Detroit Police Department would not identify the victim ... but told us a 28-year-old male was fatally shot by a relative in the 9300 block of Stout street.

DPD also tells us no arrests have been made at this time.

Roshawn remembered Isiah -- a native of Detroit -- for being a great fighter, but also a great father ... and always providing for his kids.

"He was a hard worker," Roshawn told the outlet. "Everyone is not perfect in life, but he was a good human being."

"He'd make you smile and laugh and was a great role model in the gym. Very humble and respectful," he added.

Jones -- who turned pro in 2016 -- had a pro record of 9-7 (with three knockouts) and an impressive amateur record of 52-2.

One of the highlights of Jones' career was winning the 2016 National Golden Gloves.

"Moonwalking in Calabasas" rapper DDG is now facing 2 counts of firearm possession and one for reckless driving ... both related to his June 2022 arrest while joyriding his Lambo.

According to new court docs obtained by TMZ Hip Hop ... DDG was hit with one count of carrying a loaded weapon, one count of carrying a concealed weapon, and one count of reckless driving -- all misdemeanors.

If he's convicted, each of the firearm charges could get him a year in jail, and reckless driving has a max penalty of 90 days.

As we previously reported, DDG was arrested back in June ... police say they observed him driving his Lambo erratically, and when they pulled him over he copped to having a 9MM handgun.

Interestingly, DDG's team claimed the L.A. County District Attorney initially declined to move forward with a case against the rapper -- who's dating "Little Mermaid" star Halle Bailey.

Charlamagne Tha God is highlighting what he sees as hip hop hypocrisy in the wake of PnB Rock's murder last week.

As The Breakfast Club crew was discussing the home invasion/robbery of Tee Grizzley, Charlamagne spoke on how rappers tend to get sad when their fellow artists get killed and flood social media with 'RIP' messages -- but then continue supporting the same lifestyle and culture that got their homie killed in the first place.

Charlamagne says the unfortunate trend of murdered rappers should have made artists smarten up by now, and he's confused why that's not more apparent by now.

TMZ broke the story ... Tee's Los Angeles suburban home was broken into a couple of weeks ago and suspects made off with more than $1 million in jewelry -- in addition to the cash they stole.

Following the report, the Detroit-born rapper took to Instagram to reassure fans he was safe but urged rappers to be careful of the content of their music ... noting how bad juju could be spoken into existence on wax. He also advised rappers to speak in third-person or from the arc of a storyteller instead of making their lyrics direct with dirt.

Tee's recently released single "Robbery Part 4" plays out just like that ... it's a fictional tale that's more cinematic than reality.

He also asked the fans to pray for King Von and PnB's families ... the latter of who say they're having a hard time getting PnB's body back to Philly due to the open homicide investigation.

Von died in 2020 after being shot and killed in Atlanta and PnB was gunned down last week while eating with his girlfriend inside a Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles restaurant.

Emoni Bates -- the No. 5-ranked high school basketball player in the country in 2021 -- has been charged with two felonies after he was arrested on Sunday, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

According to court records, the 18-year-old -- who now plays for Eastern Michigan University -- was charged with carrying a concealed weapon and altering ID marks on a firearm.

The charges stem from an arrest Sunday in Superior Township, Michigan. The Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office told WXYZ Detroit officers initially pulled over Bates for allegedly failing to stop at a stop sign -- and cops say they found a gun on him during the ensuing investigation.

Jail records show he was booked at 11:19 PM and is currently still in custody as of Monday morning.

Bates' attorney, Steve Haney, told ESPN on Monday, "Reserve judgment on this ... There's way more to the story. He borrowed someone's car, was pulled over and a gun was located in the car."

Bates was a star basketball player at Ypsi Prep Academy in Michigan -- and finished his 2020-2021 season just below Chet Holmgren and Paolo Banchero on national H.S. rankings lists.

He ultimately signed with Memphis -- but transferred to Eastern Michigan after starting just 13 games in his freshman season.

He's expected to be a key player on this year's Eagles team.

Ludacris' manager Chaka Zulu has been booked for murder after a fatal triple shooting in Atlanta ... but he has maintained since the incident it was justified.

Zulu turned himself in earlier this week at the Fulton County Jail. In addition to the murder charge, he was booked for aggravated assault, simple battery and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.

Zulu says he used self-defense after being confronted by several guys outside a restaurant back in June. He claims they became aggressive, shoving him to the ground and then pummeling him with their fists and feet.

He says one of the assailants then shot him in the chest and he reacted by pulling out a gun and fatally shooting him. He was critically wounded at the time, but has recovered. At least one other man was shot during the incident.

Memphis rapper EBG Ejizzle is screwing up a sweet plea deal that kept him outta jail ... according to prosecutors who say he's gone on a mini crime spree while on probation.

According to court docs obtained by TMZ Hip Hop, EBG got locked up on September 11, just a few months after he narrowly avoided that very fate. In May, he agreed to plead guilty to aggravated assault -- a downgrade from his original charge of attempted murder -- and he got 3 years of probation instead of prison time.

Like we said ... sweet deal. However, prosecutors say things went south quickly ... as EBG failed a drug test less than 2 weeks after starting probation. They say he tested positive for marijuana, opiates, benzodiazepines and oxycodone.

To make matters worse, the 22-year-old was then accused of posting images on Facebook of a black firearm with an extended magazine, and a semi-automatic rifle.

Several days later, he allegedly shot up a parked car, and brandished the weapon in a threatening manner. According to the docs, EBG also has an active warrant for his arrest on charges of vandalism and reckless endangerment.

Ya get the point ... prosecutors are now asking the court to revoke Ejizzle's original sentence of probation, and he's currently being held without bail.

A$AP Rocky is clear ... he did NOT shoot A$AP Relli ... pushing back against his accuser, whom Rocky says is simply trying to make a cash grab.

The rapper's acclaimed lawyer, Joe Tacopina, tells TMZ ... "Rocky didn't commit a crime. It was an extortion attempt by a former associate, who threatened to make false criminal accusations if Rocky didn't pay him."

Remember ... A$AP is accused of firing shots at A$AP Relli during a dispute in Hollywood back in November, with Relli claiming bullet fragments caused a hand injury. Relli is suing Rocky over the alleged incident, and Rocky is also facing felony firearms charges.

Tacopina tells us he has 2 eyewitnesses who back Rocky's story ... not only that Relli wasn't hit by bullet fragments, but that no shot was even fired. In other words, Tacopina says Relli has made up the story in a "get-rich-quick scheme."

Rocky hired Joe because a couple of his friends -- YG and Meek Mill -- were also successfully repped by Tacopina.

Tacopina says both the civil and criminal cases against his client are slam dunks ... "What will become abundantly clear in the upcoming months, based on facts and evidence, is that Rocky is innocent of these charges."

A high school football coach was shot after breaking up a fight at the school's campus this week ... and the terrifying incident was all caught on video.

The Vallejo Police Department says the shooting happened in front of Vallejo H.S. in Northern California after classes had ended at around 3:45 PM on Tuesday.

Officials say several students were fighting with some "unknown males" ... but the brawl was broken up by Joe Pastrana, the defensive coordinator on the school's football team.

Cops say after the parties were separated, some of the people involved got into a car and started shooting backward while speeding off. Unfortunately, according to cops, one of the bullets struck Pastrana.

A bystander captured the whole thing on camera ... showing everyone running for cover when several gunshots rang out.

"The motive and circumstances involving this incident remain under investigation," authorities said in a statement this week.

Head coach Mike Wilson III told the Times-Herald the team found out about Pastrana while suiting up for practice and they took "the news very hard."

"When we found out what happened all practices were canceled," Wilson said. "When it was safe we told everyone to go home."

Wilson said Pastrana is in stable condition at a local hospital.

VP Police Chief Shawny Williams praised Pastrana for his heroism ... saying, "This is a very courageous staff member that potentially saved another child’s life or multiple people’s lives."