Weapons & Guns

Judge Greg Mathis got into it with some Los Angeles City employees ... but there are drastically different stories from each side as to just how intense things escalated.

Law enforcement sources tell us an employee from the L.A. Dept. of Water and Power made a report Tuesday accusing Mathis of threatening workers with a gun after a heated confrontation. According to the employee, Mathis got pissed after they asked him to move his vehicle -- words were exchanged -- and things escalated to the point of Mathis allegedly flashing and pointing his gun at the workers.

However, we spoke to Mathis, who has a much different story. Mathis tells us the employees were actually blocking his vehicle in, and he was unable to pull out of his driveway.

Mathis says one of the employees got smart with him when he stood in the street, saying if he didn't move, he'd get run over by their work truck. Mathis took that as a threat, and tells us he informed he had a weapon -- though he says he NEVER showed the gun, let alone pointed it at anyone.

Eventually, both sides cooled off ... and the LADWP employees continued on with their work further down the street.

YNW Melly's years-long double murder case has just ended in dramatic fashion ... he's off the hook, for now, 'cause a judge just declared a mistrial.

The rapper got the good news Saturday in a Broward County courtroom -- where the jury actually came in on a weekend to reaffirm they had not been able to come to a unanimous decision, this after starting deliberations on Thursday ... following closing arguments.

It's one of the wildest hip hop murder cases to happen ... Melly and his co-defendant Cortlen -- aka, YNW Bortlen -- Henry were accused of killing their friends Christopher “Juvy” Thomas Jr. and Anthony “Sakchaser” Williams in South Florida circa October 2018.

Investigators used forensic evidence to argue Melly and Henry fatally shot the pair in the back of a Jeep Compass and staged the scene to look like a drive-by. The killings, at the time, were described as gruesome ... and alleged to have been carried out in cold blood.

Apparently, however, that wasn't enough to sway the jury ... at least not all of them, anyway.

Melly had been locked up since February 2019 while he awaited trial but the time away didn't hurt his rap career. Fans streamed his music faithfully and ran the numbers up ... his discography now has 10 platinum and gold plaques when he had zilch when he was initially arrested for the murders. Remember, he was facing the death penalty ... so high stakes.

Now, Melly's a free man ... that is, assuming prosecutors don't go after him again -- which they certainly can. It's unclear if the state plans to do it all over again ... stay tuned.

Director Christopher Nolan's summer blockbuster, "Oppenheimer," was released Friday in the U.S. and other countries, but there's one nation where you won't see it ... and that appears to be on purpose.

Japan has not yet announced a release date for the film, which is about the creation of the nuclear bomb in the United States, culminating in a successful test of the doomsday weapon in July 1945.

Weeks later, America dropped 2 nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9, 1945, respectively, putting an end to World War II. The Japanese cities were completely obliterated with roughly 200,000 people killed and next month marks the 78th anniversary of the bombings.

So, it's no coincidence Japan has put the movie on the back burner ... for now. Keep in mind, though, Japan has a history of postponing new Hollywood film releases for weeks or even months to assess their popularity and value within the market.

But, some have already speculated the tragic historical events are what's really at play here, and Japanese audiences might be sensitive to some of the film's content.

Tekashi 6ix9ine is back to dissing his opps -- and he's convinced Kodak Black to join him along for the ride ... and the team up has left Boosie Badazz utterly dejected!!!

The jaw-dropping alliance was unveiled Friday, and marked 6ix9ine's switch from Spanglish rhymes back to hardcore gangsta talk. Kodak makes it clear his loyalty is mostly to money in the opening lines of his verse, as associating with a "snitch" is typically bad for business.

Kodak did appear to show Tekashi some allegiance by dissing his rival Anuel AA with the opening question "How you lose your bitch to a snitch?" ... a reference to the song's other costar, Yailin la Mas Viral, who happens to be Anuel's ex and Tekashi's new flame.

Messy is as messy does but Kodak sees it as one big payday ... it's not like they're not moving weight like Scarface or anything!!!

Wack's been co-managing Tekashi's career as of late and emerged as the track's orchestra ... saluting Atlantic Records and 10K Projects for clearing the record for the streets, and a vape company for funding the entire shebang, very well he adds.

The song still has to prove itself on the charts, but a livid Boosie Badazz hopped on IG Live ahead of its release to diss the entire collab ... but was mainly hurt over Kodak Black's inclusion, as it goes against Boosie's beloved street code.

Boosie says Kodak's now susceptible to becoming gay for working with Tekashi and went on to claim incarcerated Hot Boys rapper B.G. knows secrets about Kodak he's going to spill whenever he gets freed. For crying out loud, Boosie!!!

Gillie Da Kid's son YNG Cheese was shot and killed in Philly on Thursday evening, TMZ Hip Hop can confirm as heartfelt tributes flowing in for the "Million Dollarz Worth Of Game" podcaster.

Philadelphia police tell us they responded to a shooting around 8:24 PM on the block of 5800 Mascher Street and when officers arrived, they found three shooting victims, including YNG Cheese, real name Devin Spady, who had been shot in the back.

We're told YNG Cheese later succumbed to his injuries after being transported to a nearby hospital ... prompting his cousin and Gillie's 'MDWOG' cohost Wallo to take to IG for a heartfelt eulogy, where he promised to continue to speak out for good.

Cops are still investigating but tell us they are currently looking for a potential suspect with a light complexion male, either Black or Hispanic.

YNG Cheese was 25.

The man who stabbed Tyson Fury's cousin to death last year has been found guilty of murder by a jury following a three-week trial.

After three and a half hours of deliberation on Friday, the jury announced their verdict, finding 22-year-old Liam O'Pray guilty of the killing of 31-year-old Rico Burton, Tyson's cousin, and wounding with intent.

As we previously reported, Burton was stabbed in the left side of his neck with a 7-inch blade after a fight at a popular bar in Altrincham, Cheshire last August.

The fatal stab wound caused major blood loss, as it severed the major carotid artery in his neck.

O'Pray was also found guilty of injuring an 18-year-old, Harvey Reilly, in the same incident.

According to The Sun, witnesses said O'Pray was drinking and acting "very erratic" prior to the brawl with Burton and his friends around 3 AM.

Fury was devastated over his cousin's tragic death and called for the UK government to hand down harsher punishment for knife crimes.

"My cousin was murdered last night, stabbed in the neck," the heavyweight boxer said on IG last August.

"This is becoming ridiculous idiots carry knives. This needs to stop 🛑 Asap, uk 🇬🇧 government needs to bring higher sentencing for knife crime, its a pandemic & you dont know how bad it is until its 1 of your own!"

"Life is very precious & it can be taken away very quick enjoy every moment🙏RIP RICO BURTON 🙏 may the lord god grant you a good place in heaven. see you soon 🔜🙏"

The brother of ex-NFL star Aqib Talib, Yaqub Talib, has pled guilty to murder ... stemming from his role in the shooting of a youth football coach last summer.

A rep for the Dallas County District Attorney's Office tells TMZ Sports ... Yaqub entered the plea this week -- agreeing to be sentenced to 37 years in prison.

Formal sentencing for the 40-year-old has been slated for August 7, the rep said.

Yaqub was initially accused of pulling out a firearm and shooting Michael Hickmon following an argument at an Aug. 13, 2022 youth football game involving a team that the Talib brothers were helping coach.

According to a lawsuit against the Talibs filed by Hickmon's family, the Talib brothers had gotten upset with Hickmon -- who was helping coach the opposing team -- over a call on the field ... and abruptly ended the game.

When Hickmon then went to retrieve the game ball -- he was allegedly "confronted" by Aqib, who, according to the lawsuit, threw a punch.

Hickmon's family said in their suit that after Hickmon "defensively backpedaled," Yaqub then pulled out a handgun and fired five shots -- striking Hickmon with several bullets. Hickmon later died at a local hospital.

The alleged altercation was captured on cell phone video by bystanders.

An attorney for Aqib said in a statement following the confrontation, "Aqib was present when this unfortunate incident occurred and is very distraught and devastated over this terrible loss of life. He would like to convey his condolences to the family of the victim and to everyone who witnessed this unfortunate tragedy."

The five-time Pro Bowler -- who starred for the Buccaneers, Broncos, Patriots and Rams in his career -- has not been charged criminally over his alleged role in the incident.

A mass shooting broke out in New Zealand near where the U.S. women's national soccer team is gearing up for this week's World Cup ... but, thankfully, officials for the squad said all of its players and staffers are safe.

According to New Zealand police, gunshots initially rang out on Wednesday morning at a construction site in Auckland's CBD -- just a few miles from where the USWNT and other countries are slated to compete in the prestigious soccer tournament.

Police said a shooter opened fire inside the site at around 7:22 AM ... and then continued moving through the building while repeatedly discharging his gun.

Cops say when they arrived on scene, officers attempted to engage the gunman ... who had barricaded himself inside of an elevator shaft.

"Further shots were fired from the male," cops said in a statement ... "he was located deceased a short time later."

Authorities say two people -- plus the suspect -- died during the incident. Several others, they added, were injured.

The USWNT said in a statement following the tragedy that "all of our USWNT players and staff are accounted for and safe."

"Our security team is in communication with local authorities," team officials continued, "and we are proceeding with our daily schedule."

New Zealand officials added that while the situation was "alarming," they believe the incident "has been contained and is an isolated" one.

"We can also advise that this is not a national security risk," they said.

The World Cup is slated to kick off in Auckland on Thursday ... when New Zealand takes on Norway at Eden Park.

ABC will not edit out Jason Aldean's controversial hit, "Try That in a Small Town," on Wednesday's "CMA Fest," but viewers will not see a frame of the music video ... sources tell TMZ.

"CMA Fest" was filmed between June 8th and 11th at various venues in Nashville. Aldean was one of the headliners, who sang the song that was rising on the charts.

The song has become a lightning rod because of the lyrics combined with the newly-released music video, with images of Black Lives Matter protests, flag burning, and aggression toward police. The music video was also shot outside the same courthouse where there was a brutal lynching years ago. Folks on social media have ripped Aldean, claiming his song is a right-wing dog whistle.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ, ABC will air Aldean's performance but none of the music video will appear in the show. For the record, the music video was released after the festival. ABC could have used the music video in the show open or promos, but our sources say the network has taken a hard pass on that.

Aldean has defended the song, saying it has nothing to do with BLM but rather it's an anthem honoring neighbors helping each other in small towns.

Clearly, not everyone's buying it, but enough people are to propel the song to #1 on iTunes.

The home cops raided in Vegas this week in connection with the unsolved Tupac murder belongs to the wife of a guy who says he was in the car with a man who shot and killed the late rapper.

TMZ has confirmed the address where Vegas Metro executed a search warrant Monday night ... it's owned by a woman named Paula Clemons -- who's married, we've learned, to Keefe D.

Folks familiar with Tupac lore know exactly who Keefe D is -- he's a former Crip, and for years now he's been doing interviews claiming to be the uncle of the late Orlando Anderson ... who's been suspected, at least on the streets, to have been the shooter.

Orlando and his crew -- including Keefe -- were in Vegas that night ... and Orlando was actually jumped by Tupac, Suge Knight and other Death Row affiliates at the MGM Grand. It's an altercation that was caught on surveillance video ... and many thought Orlando might have orchestrated a revenge shooting after the Mike Tyson fight that night. FWIW, Orlando himself had denied any involvement before he was killed in a shootout himself.

As for Paula, she also owned a home in Compton in the '90s ... what's interesting, in 1998, the L.A. County Sheriff's Dept. recovered a gun in the backyard of a Compton home ... a home the Sheriff's Dept. said belonged to the girlfriend of known Crip who was in Vegas the night of the murder.

As we reported, cops raided Paula's Henderson, Nevada home Monday. The reason the raid is significant is because, to obtain that warrant, police had to show a judge there was probable cause to believe there was evidence in the home connected to Tupac's murder.

Cops are not saying what they recovered from Paula's Henderson home.

We covered it all on the latest of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.

The son of "Good Times" star John Amos is behind bars for allegedly sending threatening texts -- including images of guns -- to John's daughter ... the latest chapter in a family war over the actor's health.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, John's son, K.C., was busted last weekend after his sister, Shannon, claimed he sent her a slew of concerning texts, which she says made her fear for her life.

Shannon told West Orange, NJ police her brother texted about his supposed gang affiliations, showing a handgun and a rifle. She claims he also sent her videos of him firing a handgun in an open field, and wrote, "Gonna sleep much better tonight big sis."

According to Robert Florida, a spokesperson for the Essex County Prosecutor's Office ... Shannon said K.C. suffers from bipolar disorder, which has led him to believe she hired someone to kill him -- and now she's worried he might retaliate.

As we reported, Shannon started a GoFundMe last month for her father John, claiming he's been the victim of elder abuse.

However, John told us his daughter's lying, and he's not sure why she started the fundraiser. GoFundMe scrubbed the page after the "Roots" actor declined the cash.

After that mess, Shannon said K.C. no longer has authority to make medical decisions for John -- and she's sent him a cease and desist letter regarding online comments he's made about her.

There's apparently some new life in the investigation into who killed legendary rapper Tupac Shakur ... as Las Vegas cops descended on a home in connection to the murder.

Detectives from the Las Vegas Metro PD served a search warrant Tuesday at a home in Henderson, Nevada ... about 20 miles away from the LV city limits. Cops were brief in the details surrounding the search, only adding it was, "part of the ongoing Tupac Shakur homicide investigation."

Law enforcement sources confirm to us the home was in the area of Interstate 11 and Wagon Wheel Drive but, as of now, no arrests have been made.

Pac died on September 13, 1996, after being shot multiple times just off the Las Vegas Strip.

The "All Eyez On Me" rapper's afterlife spawned one of the biggest-selling music careers, not to mention one of the biggest fandoms ... but his family just wants closure.

Ohio State freshman receiver Carnell Tate's mother was tragically killed in a shooting on Sunday. She was just 40 years old.

Law enforcement says the fatal incident happened around 2 AM in the Garfield Park neighborhood in Chicago ... where a woman was shot multiple times in an alleged drive-by.

The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital ... where she, unfortunately, succumbed to her injuries. She was later identified as Ashley Griggs, Tate's mother.

Four others, aged 38 to 42, were also injured in the shooting. Reports say they are in fair condition.

Chicago PD says one of the injured victims claimed the shooter was "traveling in a vehicle at the time of the shooting."

Tate -- a Chicago native -- moved to Florida to play at IMG Academy, where he averaged 20.3 yards during his senior year in 2022. He was 247Sports' 22nd-ranked player in the country.

The 4-star prospect committed to OSU that December ... and is considered one of the best incoming freshman receivers.

Ashley was excited about Tate's upcoming season -- in fact, one of Griggs' last posts was about his No. 17 Buckeyes jersey going up for sale online.

G Herbo might not be facing a gun possession case right now, if it weren't for the simplest of traffic infractions ... at least, according to the cops who busted the "PTSD" rapper.

Chicago police tell us Herbo was pulled over in a vehicle that had failed to display a turn signal in traffic ... and it was during that July 9 stop that cops say they found a Glock 33 in the car.

We also got a hold of Herbo's latest mugshot, and he looks either perplexed or amused over the situation. Let's face it, having a perfectly good Sunday Funday ruined over jail time is guaranteed to dampen your mood.

As we previously reported, Herbo didn't spend long behind bars and was later released on bond.

Lil Tjay says his comeback is officially complete ... the Bronx-bred rapper just popped the lid off his first project since being shot multiple times a little over a year ago.

We spoke with Tjay near Times Square at his "222" album release party last night -- and he's extremely confident that he's returned to the top of his rap game.

Tjay's team transformed the Brooklyn Chop House into a soiree dedicated to the "222" project, where Tjay took pics, rapped for fans and kicked it with Fivio Foreign -- who was in the building to support his friend.

The project also sports features from Jadakiss, NBA YoungBoy, The Kid LAROI, Summer Walker, and Coco Jones.

Tjay predicts fans will receive the music very well ... it's been over 2 years since he had a new project and his fate was hanging in the balance this time last year.

TMZ Hip Hop broke the story at the time ... Tjay was shot 7 times on June 22, forcing him into emergency surgery, and he's even had some legal drama amid getting this album out.

He created "222" out of sentiment ... it stands for the time on the clock Tjay says he saw when he was airlifted to the hospital after being shot.

Boxing star Devin Haney was arrested on Thursday morning following a night out in Hollywood ... after cops say they found a semi-automatic handgun in his car during a routine traffic stop.

The 30-0 fighter -- who's coming off a huge win over Vasiliy Lomachenko -- was out at Catch L.A. on Wednesday ... when just minutes after he left the hotspot around midnight, law enforcement tells TMZ Sports cops pulled over his ride due to an unsafe lane change and a failure to use turn signal.

According to authorities, Haney was not driving ... but the person who was told officers during the stop there was a firearm inside of the ride.

Cops say they then got Haney and his security out of the car ... and when they searched the vehicle, they say they found a semi-automatic handgun under the driver's seat.

Law enforcement tells us ... no one took ownership of the gun -- and since the car was registered to Haney, he was arrested and booked for felony possession of a concealed weapon.

Jail records show he was released at 8:12 AM Thursday on $35,000 bail. He's due in court for a hearing on the matter next month.

Haney has become one of the biggest stars in boxing ... after recording impressive wins in the last couple years over Loma, George Kambosos Jr., Joseph Diaz Jr. and Yuriorkis Gamboa.