Weapons & Guns

Lil Durk is off the hook for a 2019 shooting case in Georgia, and the 5 felonies he was charged with should have been dropped long ago for a lack of evidence ... at least according to his attorney.

Fulton County D.A. Fani Willis recently filed paperwork with the court declining to move forward with the case against Durk because of "prosecutorial discretion," but she's declined to elaborate beyond that. Willis noted there was probable cause to initially arrest Durk, but after a thorough review of the facts, she decided against moving forward with the case.

Durk's attorney, Manny Arora, tells TMZ ... Willis simply didn't have enough evidence to prove her case against the rapper.

Arora insists Durk never committed a crime that day despite his presence at the scene. He added it was a "shame" it took 3 years to finally drop the charges, but he's not surprised since he believes prosecutors often drag out cases to save face.

TMZ broke the story...Durk surrendered to police in May 2019 in connection with a non-fatal shooting at The Varsity restaurant in Atlanta.

Police responded to a 911 call on Feb. 5 and found a man with a gunshot wound. Witnesses told police the wounded man had been involved in an argument with an unknown black male before the shooting. The man was rushed to the hospital, where he underwent surgery. He ultimately survived.

Durk was originally hit with a slew of felony charges ... aggravated assault, criminal attempt to commit murder, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, and more.

The cop who shot 17-year-old Erik Cantu at a San Antonio McDonald's should be facing an attempted murder charge instead of assault ... so says the teenager's family.

Erik is still fighting for his life in the hospital, and his family has retained attorney Ben Crump, who tells TMZ ... the Cantus feel the cop's current charge of aggravated assault is NOT enough.

Crump says the Cantu family thinks 25-year-old rookie officer James Brennand should be charged to the fullest extent of the law ... which they see as an attempted murder charge.

We're told Erik's family wants to see the officer behind bars ... they say he used excessive and unnecessary force when opening fire on Erik multiple times while he was simply eating a cheeseburger in his car at McDonald's.

As we reported ... Brennand surrendered to authorities and has been charged with 2 felony counts of aggravated assault by a peace officer after shooting Erik at the fast food joint. Brennand said he recognized the car as one used to evade police the day before the shooting. He turned out to be wrong, it was not the same vehicle.

Erik's family says he remains unconscious and on life support with no improvement in his condition ... and they've set up a GoFundMe to raise money for his recovery.

Crump says Brennand violated Erik's 4th Amendment rights by coming up to the car and opening his door in the parking lot. Remember, video shows the cop ordering Erik out of the car, but instead he put it in reverse ... the cop then fired multiple rounds which struck Erik.

'Rust' being a western flick, it's fitting authorities in New Mexico are now reportedly saying either pay up or get outta town.

The troubled movie production will begin hunting for locations to shoot, including Southern California, this according a statement from a 'Rust' attorney to Deadline.

As for why the Alec Baldwin western may be bailing from New Mexico ... Deadline reports there are legal issues. The production was fined $136,793 by the New Mexico Occupational Health and Safety Bureau for "willful and serious" workplace violations ... something the production is fighting. There's apparently no way the production could get permits until that issue is resolved.

There were also allegations the production owes others money that is long overdue.

Of course, there's also the tragic, accidental fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. One insider connected to the production told Deadline, "It's emotionally difficult for the crew and the cast to return to the same place."

Basketball star Emoni Bates is asking for forgiveness after a "poor decision" led to his gun arrest ... saying he hopes he can inspire others to learn from his mistake.

18-year-old Bates -- who was rated one of the top high school hoopers in the class of 2021 -- spoke out for the first time on Wednesday about the situation ... completely owning up to his actions and vowing to do better moving forward.

"The crazy thing about living your life on stage is the inability to escape judgment, and experience the growing pains of lie as a normal adolescent -- privately," Bates said in a statement.

"I hold myself accountable for making a poor decision, and hope you can forgive me as I grow because this will not be my last mistake, however; a lasting stigma to remind me of the severity of such a mistake."

Bates was arrested on September 18 around 10:45 PM in Superior Township, Michigan after cops say he blew a stop sign.

Police officers smelled weed during the stop, and eventually took Emoni out of the vehicle. He quickly admitted there was marijuana and a gun in the car, and was cooperative throughout the whole ordeal.

The 6'9", 190 lb. hooper was charged with multiple felonies, including carrying a concealed weapon and "altering ID marks" on the weapon ... but on Wednesday, he officially agreed to a deal and pled guilty to one misdemeanor count of attempted illegal transportation of a weapon.

Bates enrolled at Memphis Univ. after graduating from high school ... where he averaged 10 points and 3 rebounds per game. Emoni transferred to Eastern Michigan, near his family home, after his first season in Tennessee.

Charlotte Hornets hooper James Bouknight lay passed out in his Mercedes-Benz AMG GT with a bag of Doritos and a Glock handgun in his lap before he was arrested for DWI ... a photo obtained by TMZ Sports appears to show.

The 22-year-old former 11th overall pick (2021) was arrested around 2 AM early Sunday morning in a parking deck in Mecklenburg County, NC for driving while intoxicated.

It's a bit misleading, 'cause Bouknight wasn't actually moving at the time of the arrest ... he was allegedly conked out in the driver's seat of his $100K Benz, blocking access to the garage.

Witnesses tell us security attempted to wake up James, but despite repeatedly pounding on the window, they couldn't get his attention.

When they looked through the car's windshield (the tint made it difficult to see through the other windows), security saw a weapon on James' lap -- a .40 caliber Glock 23.

That's when security called the cops ... who responded and were ultimately able to wake up the 6'4" guard and place him under arrest.

Bouknight was booked, before being released on $2,500 bond.

He was NOT charged with any crime relating to the gun ... North Carolina doesn't require a permit to open carry a weapon.

Former NFL cornerback Antonio Dennard was shot and killed outside a bar in Reading, Pennsylvania, over the weekend ... TMZ Sports has learned. He was 32.

The Berks County Coroner's Office tells us Dennard was pronounced dead at 3:15 AM on October 16 -- after being transported to Reading Hospital for a gunshot wound.

Dennard's death has been ruled a homicide ... and police are currently investigating.

Dennard spent time in the NFL with the New York Giants, Green Bay Packers, and Jacksonville Jaguars throughout his career.

An autopsy for Dennard is scheduled for Tuesday, October 18.

Eastern Michigan basketball star Emoni Bates was deeply emotional as he sat handcuffed in the back seat of a cop car ... breaking down in tears and talking to his mom on the phone right after his gun arrest, footage obtained by TMZ Sports shows.

18-year-old Bates -- one of the top prospects in the class of 2021 -- was pulled over in Superior Township, Michigan after allegedly running through a stop sign around 10:45 PM on September 18.

During the traffic stop, Washtenaw County sheriff's deputies -- who immediately recognized Bates -- told him there was a strong scent of weed coming from his vehicle and asked if there were guns or drugs in the Mitsubishi Outlander.

Bates -- who was driving without a license -- initially claimed he didn't, but eventually came clean ... admitting he had marijuana and a gun, putting his hands up and complying with the officers.

The 6'9", 190-pounder was then placed under arrest and put into the back seat of the cop car. While his vehicle was being searched, cops allowed him to use his phone ... and he called his mother to apologize for the arrest -- breaking down in tears in the process.

During the search, cops found what appeared to be a bag of marijuana ... as well as the gun.

Emoni's mom, Edith, calmed him down during the phone convo ... and then handed the phone over to a man, who seemingly said he is the owner of the gun.

The man appears to ask if cops found "my stick in your car?" ... to which Bates replied, "Yeah."

Bates was hit with two felonies -- carrying a concealed weapon and altering ID marks on a firearm -- but on Thursday, Bates' attorney, Steve Haney, told ESPN he expects the charges to be dismissed after agreeing to a plea deal.

Haney says he will plead to a misdemeanor count of attempted illegal transportation of a weapon ... which will be dismissed off his record if he completes a diversion program.

The school confirmed the news to TMZ Sports ... saying, "The Eastern Michigan University department of athletics has received notification that there is an agreement between the Washtenaw County prosecutor's office and Emoni Bates' defense team that would result in the felony charges being dismissed."

Alex Jones has been NAILED for perpetuating a lie about the Sandy Hook massacre, and some of the families of the children who were murdered have just gotten word from the jury ... that Jones must ante up nearly $1 billion.

The Connecticut jury just hit Jones between the eyes ... finding the emotional distress and trauma he caused by his campaign was so enormous ... justice required an enormous damage award.

The total verdict -- divided among the 8 families and 1 first responder -- adds up to $965M.

The families' lawyer, Chris Mattei, told jurors in last week's closing arguments that Jones lies to generate revenue for his site, while the parents in mourning received death threats and harassment from his fans.

Jones was on the air on his radio show when the verdict was read ... telling his listeners, "This must be what hell is like -- they just read out the damages, even though you don't got the money." Jones also said the case was a joke and asked his listeners for donations.

The legal battle started way back in 2018, when the families went after Jones and his company, Free Speech Systems.

The cop who shot 17-year-old Erik Cantu at a San Antonio McDonald's has surrendered to authorities and has been charged with 2 felonies ... this as Cantu fights for his life.

25-year-old rookie police officer James Brennand has been charged with 2 counts of aggravated assault by a peace officer.

Cantu was eating a burger in the parking lot of Mcdonald's when Brennand spotted him and recognized his car ... Brennand said the driver had evaded police the day before the shooting.

Erik remains unconscious on life support ... according to his family. The family gave an ominous statement Tuesday, "There is no improvement in his condition. The last two days have been difficult, and we expect more difficulty ahead, but we remain hopeful."

Brennand approached Cantu's car, opened the driver's door and ordered Cantu out. Cantu put it in reverse and the cop began shooting multiple rounds, striking him several times.

The 17-year-old shot multiple times by a cop while eating outside a McDonald's is on life support after several of his organs were punctured ... TMZ has learned.

Erik Cantu's family, through his attorney Brian Powers, tells TMZ the teen has undergone multiple surgeries to repair major organs that were damaged -- a result of the gunfire.

Erik's being closely monitored as the system keeps his lungs operating. He still remains sedated to hopefully ease the pain and discomfort he'd face if conscious.

Erik is struggling, and the recovery won't be easy for him, but his family thanks everyone for sending prayers ... asking for more of that love during this time of uncertainty.

As we reported, bodycam footage -- released by police last week -- showed San Antonio PD Officer James Brennand shoot multiple times at the unarmed kid. Brennand was at the location for an unrelated call ... but Cantu had apparently evaded Brennand on another call the day before.

If anyone knows about surviving a shooting, it's 50 Cent ... that's why the rap legend shouted out Commanders RB Brian Robinson on social media,  celebrating the 3rd round draft pick for playing just six weeks after he was shot twice.

"That s**t ain’t stop nothing, 👀when God has bigger plans it’s just a bump in the road. @b.robinson_4 right back in action 💪🏽," 50 wrote on Instagram Monday morning.

50, of course, was famously shot 9 times in 2000 ... and miraculously survived.

23-year-old Robinson returned to the field on Sunday ... after being shot in his butt and leg on August 28th. The Commanders lost to the Titans, 21-17, but Robinson ran the ball 9 times for 22 yards.

Robinson -- who had surgery after the shooting -- was medically cleared to play last week ... but the team wanted to give the rookie ball carrier a little extra time to heal.

It was well worth the wait for fans ... who were clearly pumped to see Robinson. When he ran onto the field before kickoff, he received one of the loudest ovations.

After the game, someone on the internet put Fif's song "Many Men" -- largely about his shooting -- to video of Robinson running onto the field for the first time ... and it's pretty damn cool.

An actor in Alec Baldwin's "Rust" movie is on board with resuming production after Halyna Hutchins' tragic death ... thanks to now having her family's blessing.

Douglas Stewart, who plays the town father in the western flick, tells TMZ ... the biggest hurdle in finishing the movie was knowing whether Halyna's family wanted it done, and having her widower involved is what the cast needed to hear to move forward.

As we reported, Matthew Hutchins announced this week he's dropping the wrongful death suit against Alec, the producers and others ... having reached a settlement.

Alec is now going to finish in his lead role, alongside the OG "Rust" cast, with Halyna's widower becoming an executive producer on the movie.

Douglas says he has mixed feelings about completing the flick because of the tragedy, but says as a working actor who has a family to care for ... he ultimately feels it's the right move given heightened safety precautions and Matthew's involvement.

The civil settlement is not affecting the criminal investigation -- authorities say some of the folks involved, including Alec, could be charged -- but Douglas says he doesn't think it will have an impact on finishing the film -- completing the film and any criminal case are separate issues.

A televised high school football game abruptly cut to commercial Friday night after a flurry of shots rang out outside an Ohio stadium.

Check out this footage showing two rival teams running a play on the field when at least 12 gunshots were fired nearby. None of the players seemed to notice until the crowd freaked out and started to scatter. As players and fans ran for their lives, the broadcaster quickly announced, "We're going to break."

Another video showed people jumping from the stands and taking cover on the ground after the gunfire.

Toledo PD said 3 people were shot outside the stadium of Whitmer High School, which was playing Central Catholic HS. The victims -- 1 student and 2 adults -- were not seriously wounded, but taken to a hospital.

Investigators reportedly arrested 2 suspects and were searching for 2 more. A motive has not been disclosed.

Officials from the Washington Local Schools District issued a statement, saying no one in the crowd was injured and all guests had been screened prior to the game.

A San Antonio police officer is out of a job after shooting a teenager who was eating a meal in a car parked outside a McDonald's ... and the incident is all on video.

The shooting went down Sunday night at a Mickey D's, but police just released bodycam footage showing the cop firing multiple shots into the car.

The officer walked up to a parked car, opened the driver's door and the teen behind the wheel freaks out in between bites of a burger. The kid then reversed to drive away and the cop started shooting.

Several gunshots ring out as the car drives off into the night, with the officer giving chase.

As it turns out, San Antonio PD says the officer was at the fast food joint for a disturbance call unrelated to the vehicle from the shooting.

Cops say the officer approached the car because he thought it was the same vehicle that allegedly evaded police the day before.

The teen reportedly suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was taken to the hospital in critical condition. He was initially charged with evading detention and assault on a police officer but those charges have since been dismissed, and the case is closed.

Master P is helping a child blinded by gun violence achieve a dream to become a published author ... with the announcement of his new line of books.

The No Limit Records colonel tells TMZ Hip Hop he was directly inspired by the perseverance of Malachi Roberts ... a Kentucky-born kid who tragically lost his sight at age 5. Malachi and his mother were innocent bystanders, shot in a December 2002 drive-by while they were in their own home.

Now, 7 years old ... the prodigy's launching his own series of children's books in collaboration with Master P and Snoop Dogg's developing Snoop Loopz cereal brand.

The pioneering rapper recently made the trek to Louisville for the grand announcement ... the first book, "Adventures with Malachi: Teamwork Makes the Dream Work" will feature characters from Snoop's cereal.

P says the goal of Snoop's Broadus Family Foods is to help all kids like Malachi be able to overcome adversity ... especially those rooted in issues impacting their neighborhoods.

He's confident that planting seeds of diversity in the children's minds -- and grocery stores -- will help them go on to become future leaders in society.

P says the books will be dropping in 2023 and, naturally, they will be available in braille.

President Biden put the nation on red alert Thursday, announcing nuclear "Armageddon" is a real possibility given Russia's recent setbacks in its 8-month war in Ukraine.

At a Democratic fundraiser hosted by James Murdoch, Biden characterized Russian Czar Vladimir Putin as "a guy I know fairly well" -- and added, Putin was "not joking when he talks about the use of tactical nuclear weapons or biological or chemical weapons."

Biden went on to say, "We have not faced the prospect of Armageddon since Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis." He also implied the threat from Putin is tangible "because his military is -- you might say -- significantly underperforming."

The Cuban Missile Crisis was a 13-day showdown in 1962 born out of the Soviet Union's deployment of nuclear weapons in Cuba ... prompting the Kennedy administration to launch a naval blockade of the island.

As far as the public knows, it remains the closest the U.S ever came to a nuclear war.

Biden says he's still "trying to figure" out Putin's "off-ramp" in Ukraine. Where does he find a way out?" Biden asked. "Where does he find himself in a position that he does not not only lose face but lose significant power within Russia?"

Despite Biden's chilling warning, U.S. officials have NOT seen Russia change its nuclear posture to launch an imminent attack.