Weapons & Guns

The head of Takeoff's label wants his fans, the public and hip hop, in general, to take one thing from his death ... violence isn't the way to go when things get heated.

Pierre "Pee" Thomas, CEO of Quality Control, posted an emotional message late Tuesday night ... starting by saying anyone who knows them "knows how much I love you" -- noting the 28-year-old's death was incredibly unexpected.

Pee says the loss should remind everyone how valuable life is and adds, "I want our community to remember that we don’t have to continue to result to violence every time there is a disagreement. It’s ok to love your brother and sister."

Pee's message, largely written directly to Takeoff, ends with this heartfelt statement -- "You came from the stars so I know you will forever be up there watching down on all of us. I will forever love you. 💔."

As we reported, Quality Control co-founder Kevin Lee -- AKA Coach K -- suggested Takeoff was killed by a stray bullet. Police have yet to confirm that theory, but video TMZ obtained does prove Takeoff was not involved in the heated discussion that preceded the gunfire.

The face-off went down around 2:30 AM Tuesday, immediately after Quavo was having an argument with an unknown group of guys. While it's hard to make out what's being said exactly, Quavo's tone seemed to be let's just keep the peace and keep things moving.

Quavo was toe-to-toe with a group of guys outside that Houston bowling alley -- Takeoff and others had his back while he argued for more than 30 seconds before the shooting began.

TMZ Hip Hop obtained this video of the showdown around 2:30 AM -- you can see and hear Quavo arguing with someone, and Takeoff is a few feet behind him. There's a discussion about playing basketball, and someone -- possibly Quavo -- says "I don't get down like that!"

Seconds later, there's a single crack of gunfire ... and when everyone starts running, a flurry of shots are firing through the crowd. You can hear more than 10 shots in total, and it sounds like they came from at least 2 different weapons.

Chaos ensued, with folks running in all directions to escape the hail of bullets. As we first reported, Takeoff was shot near his head, and despite efforts to resuscitate him -- made by Quavo and a bystander -- he was pronounced dead on the scene.

Members of the Houston Police Department held a press conference Tuesday afternoon and revealed a 23-year-old male and a 24-year-old female were also hit, and went to a hospital for treatment. Cops say most of the witnesses to the shooting fled the scene, and they're asking them to come forward with information about what happened.

Takeoff was only 28.

Originally Published -- 2:08 PM PT

Boxing star Shakur Stevenson was standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Takeoff right before the rapper was shot and killed early Tuesday morning in Houston, TMZ Sports has learned.

Thankfully, Shakur wasn't physically injured.

25-year-old Stevenson, a former champ who's regarded as one of the best fighters in the world, was seen on video directly next to the Migos rapper ... wearing a blue hat as an argument turned deadly.

Shakur is from New Jersey ... but now lives in Houston. He was seen partying with Jas Prince earlier in the week. He's also friends with the Migos.

Takeoff was tragically murdered around 2:30 AM Tuesday morning outside of a bowling alley called 810 Billiards & Bowling ... following a heated argument between Quavo and another man.

It's during the verbal altercation that Shakur was seen next to Takeoff.

Houston PD has asked witnesses to come forward to recount their side of the story. It's unclear if police have been in contact with Stevenson or his people.

Takeoff's shocking slaying in Houston is prompting the rap community to remember far too many young talents who tragically lost their lives due to gun violence.

Notorious B.I.G., aka Biggie Smalls, was only 24 when his car was gunned down back in '97 ... just 6 months after Tupac had been shot to death. Both men's murders remain unsolved.

More recently, Young Dolph was killed in 2021 outside a Memphis bakery. He was on his way to hand out a truckload of turkeys in his old neighborhood when he met his violent and untimely death.

PnB Rock was climbing the Billboard charts back in 2016 ... but his career, and life, were tragically cut short when he was shot and killed in September during a robbery at a Roscoe's in Los Angeles.

Of course, there have been so many others, both fatalities -- like Pop Smoke, Nipsey Hussle, Slim 400 and XXXTentacion -- and those who luckily survived ... like Lil Tjay and 50 Cent.

Nipsey was gunned down outside his Marathon clothing store in his own neighborhood ... with at least 10 bullets striking Nipsey's body and his murderer also kicking him in the head.

XXX was only 20 years old when he was shot dead as he was leaving a motorcycle dealer in Florida. XXX was blocked from exiting the parking lot by a black SUV, with two gunmen hopping out and approaching his car. A struggle ensued, with the gunmen reaching inside XXX's car for a small bag before ultimately opening fire.

Richard Reed -- a star high school football player in California -- was tragically killed in a fatal shooting over the weekend. He was only 17.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department says deputies were dispatched to La Mesa Road and Jade Road in Victorville (85 miles northeast of Los Angeles) around 11 PM on Oct. 30.

They found a male with a gunshot wound lying on the street ... and sadly, the EMTs pronounced him dead on their arrival.

SBSD identified the victim as Reed, a standout football player from Silverado High School ... and his death has been ruled a homicide.

Reed was a versatile star ... playing offense, defense and special teams for the Silverado Hawks.

According to Max Preps, Reed had 269 rushing yards, 5 total touchdowns in 10 games this season ... adding 72 total tackles and 2.5 sacks on the defensive side.

He was named the All-Desert Sky League Defensive Player of the Year in 2021.

The Silverado H.S. principal says the Hawks football team is completely devastated over Reed's murder.

"Many of the players are still in shock, and when we heard the news today, football was the furthest thing from our minds," Principal Heather Conkle said ... adding the team is "unified" and will play their playoff game on Friday in his honor.

Takeoff, one-third of Migos, is dead after an early morning shooting in Houston ... TMZ Hip Hop has confirmed.

Law enforcement sources, and multiple witnesses, tell us the fatal incident went down shortly after 2:30 AM ... that's when cops got the call for a man shot at a bowling alley called 810 Billiards & Bowling Houston.

We're told Takeoff and Quavo were there playing dice when an altercation broke out and that's when someone opened fire, shooting Takeoff ... either in the head or near his head. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

TMZ Hip Hop has obtained footage from the scene, and you can see Quavo -- in an orange shirt -- and others gathered around Takeoff. At first they tried to move him, but then put him back down, and Quavo yelled for someone to get help.

Police tell us 2 other people were shot and were taken to the hospital in private vehicles. We do not know their conditions. Quavo was not injured.

Just a couple of hours before the shooting, Takeoff posted a pic of himself lighting up at the bowling alley. Quavo had posted video several hours earlier as he drove around Houston with Jas Prince, who was celebrating his birthday.

We're told Jas was not with Quavo and Takeoff when the shooting happened.

Takeoff, who's real name is Kirsnik Khari Ball, was the youngest member of Migos. Quavo was his uncle, and Offset his cousin.

They came together as a group in 2008 in Georgia, and became multi-platinum hitmakers ... dropping their first major hit, "Versace," in 2013. They would hit number one on Billboard in 2016 with "Bad and Boujee."

Most recently, Quavo and Takeoff had released a project as the duo, "Unc & Phew." They had just released their latest music video, "Messy," on Monday.

Takeoff was 28.

RIP

Chuck D says hip hop needs to start addressing the gun violence plaguing the industry ... and killing rappers at an alarming pace.

We talked to the legendary MC on "TMZ Live" to get his thoughts on the latest shooting death in hip hop -- Migos rapper Takeoff being gunned down in Houston -- and Chuck says it's crazy how folks think it's normal to lose rappers to gun violence.

Chuck says attacking someone with a gun should be considered "abnormal behavior" ... and he's lamenting the fact it's become so commonplace in America, people almost seem to shrug it off as just a part of life.

As we reported ... Takeoff was killed during an early morning shooting in Houston, with emergency audio revealing at least 5 shots were fired. We're told Takeoff and Quavo were playing dice at a bowling alley when an altercation broke out and someone, or multiple people, opened fire ... fatally shooting Takeoff.

Chuck D says gun violence in the hip hop community has been ignored for far too long -- he says any other industry with so many fatalities would have addressed the issue before it became normalized.

He adds ... people have grown up thinking a rapper dying young is a normal thing ... and he says it's not only about the death itself, but also the manner -- drugs and gunshots.

Problem is, Chuck says too much music glorifies guns and drugs, whereas before, it was a reflection of what was going on in the community, not a dictation.

Lil Zay Osama is outta jail for the not-so-low low price of $350,000 ... marking his first taste of freedom since NYPD arrested him on October 1 for allegedly leaving much more than a tip for an Uber drive.

NYPD sources tell TMZ Hip Hop that Lil Zay got sprung Saturday after posting his 6-figure bail, but with several conditions ... including remaining on home confinement and avoiding contact with any witnesses.

We're told Lil Zay also must undergo screening for illicit substances.

Federal prosecutors claim Lil Zay hopped in an Uber with a Glock, and after riding from Manhattan to Queens ... forgot the weapon in the vehicle.

According to the authorities, the weapon was enhanced with a “switch” device ... which turns semi-automatic firearms into automatic weapons. The Department of Justice has been cracking down on such enhancements.

The Uber driver contacted the police and Lil Zay was arrested for weapon possession and being a felon in possession of a firearm ... charges that could land him in prison for 20 years if convicted.

Horrifying moment during Bronny James' high school basketball game over the weekend ... LeBron James' eldest son was rushed off the court after fans in the arena feared someone had a gun.

Bronny's Sierra Canyon boys basketball team was taking on DeMatha as part of a big showcase event in D.C. on Saturday night ... when suddenly, near the end of the game, chaos broke out in the stands.

Several fans in attendance reportedly got into an altercation -- and, at one point, some thought a gun had been pulled.

When word of the potential weapon got down to those on the court, coaches and players -- including Bronny -- took off in panic.

Fortunately, cops tell TMZ Sports that when they got to the scene, they did a "thorough search" and "did not locate a firearm."

"There were no injuries," a police spokesperson added.

The two teams did not come out to finish the game "out of an abundance of caution," DeMatha head coach Mike G. Jones III tells us.

Bronny was clearly shaken up by it all ... saying in a statement on his social media page after the game, "high schoolers can't even hoop in peace now a days."

The two teams did not play on Sunday following the incident.

Alec Baldwin is one step closer to finding out if he will be criminally charged for the fatal shooting on his "Rust" movie set ... because cops have finally turned over the investigative findings to the District Attorney.

Prosecutors in New Mexico tell TMZ ... the Santa Fe County Sheriff gave its investigative report on the shooting incident to the D.A.'s office Thursday, who will now begin a "thorough review" of the evidence before deciding on whether or not to bring criminal charges.

It will be interesting to see if D.A. Mary Carmack-Altwies charges Alec -- and potentially others -- with a crime.

The D.A. may have already shown her hand, as we reported, she recently asked New Mexico for help in financing several potential prosecutions and named Alec as a possible defendant.

Heather Brewster, a spokesperson for the D.A., tells TMZ ... now that Carmack-Altwies has the evidence, her focus "will be on upholding the integrity of the process, enforcing the laws of the state of New Mexico, and pursuing justice."

It's been over a year since Halyna Hutchins died in the fatal shooting on the Santa Fe movie set ... and Alec's maintained her death was an accident and not his fault.

A Missouri radio anchor had to go live on the air to report on the St. Louis school shooting this week -- while knowing her daughter was inside the school, and being uncertain she was alive.

St. Louis-based reporter Debbie Monterrey -- who works for KMOX news -- received alarming texts from her 17-year-old, Caeli, who's a senior at the Collegiate School of Medicine and Bioscience ... notifying her there was an intruder on campus and she was hearing loud bangs.

Her texts read ... "OMG THERE’S AN INTRUDER IN THE BUILDING," while a couple others said, "OMG IT’S NOT A DRILL," and "OMG THE ALARMS ARE GOING OFF."

This was all happening while Monterrey was live on the air covering this exact incident as it was unfolding -- and she says there was actually a period of silence while she composed herself before she finally spoke again to continue her job ... keeping it together.

It sounds like she got through it, because later ... Monterrey recounted the surreal experience, saying she had to maintain her composure best she could in the moment ... adding she started crying when they cut to commercial, because she'd just learned her daughter was safe.

The 19-year-old gunman used an AR-15-style weapon to shoot and kill a student and a teacher ... while reportedly injuring seven others. He was ultimately killed by police during an exchange of gunfire.

Kansas City Chiefs star Frank Clark was hit with a 2-game suspension on Tuesday ... as a result of two gun arrests in 2021.

As we previously reported ... Clark was busted two separate times within a three-month period for having illegal firearms in his car.

In March 2021, the 29-year-old was booked for illegal possession of a firearm after he and another man were initially pulled over in a 93 Toyota Supra for failing to display a front license plate.

During the traffic stop, cops say they saw the muzzle of a handgun sticking out of a bag in the back seat ... and after searching the vehicle, they discovered 2 loaded firearms -- a rifle and the handgun.

At the time of the arrest, Clark claimed the guns were not his ... and belonged to his security.

Clark was also pulled over for a routine traffic violation in June 2021 ... when cops say they noticed an uzi sticking out of a duffle bag in his Lambo SUV.

He was arrested and booked for illegal possession of a firearm.

In September, Clark pled no contest to two gun charges to close out the cases ... and was sentenced to community service and one year of probation.

The 17-year-old teen shot by a cop in a McDonald's parking lot must now face another health battle, he's fighting pneumonia in the hospital.

Erik Cantu's family spoke out for the first time Tuesday, revealing he's got a ton of staples and tubes in his body. There's also a delicate balancing act between Cantu's medication and a breathing machine to keep him alive.

To make things worse, Cantu's dad, Erik Sr., says the teen is waking up with flashbacks -- raising his hands in the air and moving his foot like he's pushing a car pedal.

Erik's mom, Victoria, says there was a bullet by his heart -- and he was also shot in the stomach, diaphragm, lungs, liver, bicep and forearm.

As we've reported, Cantu was shot multiple times by police officer James Brennand while he was eating a burger in the parking lot of a McDonald's. Brennand was responding to the restaurant on an unrelated call.

Brennand was fired by the police department and is facing two felony charges of aggravated assault by a public official.

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."