Weapons & Guns

In one of the more unsurprising turns of the week, protests erupted from coast-to-coast in the wake of the exoneration of Kyle Rittenhouse.

New Yorkers hit the streets Friday night to express their outrage over the not guilty verdict, and some of the anger got out of hand. Cars were vandalized ... the words, "f*** you" were sprayed on the handicapped placard of a vehicle.

There were 5 arrests in NYC for vandalism.

There was also a protest outside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn ... hundreds of protesters held signs, one which read ... "No justice in the capitalist courts" and "capitalism breeds racist terror."

Interestingly, Kenosha -- the city where the trial was held and the fatal shootings occurred -- was fairly peaceful. The protesters were fairly small in number, and the anger seemed most directed at Judge Bruce Schroeder, who presided over the trial.

Portland was predictably more exercised, with 200 protesters throwing things at cops ... this according to the Portland PD.

And, Chicago protesters hit the streets as well, though not in large numbers.

Kyle Rittenhouse has just been found not guilty on all charges in the Kenosha shooting case.

Rittenhouse was charged with first-degree intentional homicide (aka murder), 2 counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety, first-degree reckless homicide and first-degree attempted intentional homicide ... pertaining to the deaths of Anthony Huber and Joseph Rosenbaum ... as well as the maiming of Gaige Grosskreutz, who survived his shooting, respectively.

Rittenhouse choked back tears as the verdict was read.

It's been a long 2 weeks and change of proceedings, with prosecutors for the State of Wisconsin trying to make their case ... namely, that Rittenhouse was perceived as an active shooter that night, and that he did NOT have the right to use deadly force against protesters.

The prosecution also painted Rittenhouse as an underage John Wayne -- he was just 17 at the time of the incident -- who apparently thought he was entitled to patrol the streets of Kenosha in the aftermath of the Jacob Blake shooting ... and who provoked and drew the ire of demonstrators by bringing along an AR-15 rifle.

That said ... it would appear their characterization of things weren't always holding up very well in front of the jury -- as Rittenhouse's defense team claimed their client only shot when he felt his life was in mortal danger, and only enough to neutralize threats he considered deadly in the moment. Based on the evidence, it seems the jury mostly agreed with that.

Another element that surely helped Rittenhouse ... the fact that he and others testified to hearing Rosenbaum -- the first person shot that night -- threatening to kill KR and others in his patrol group ... among other unruly behavior many claim he was engaged in that night.

Rittenhouse says he was eventually ambushed by Rosenbaum after losing track of his crew in the streets, and was then chased by him ... until Kyle turned around and shot him. He claimed Rosenbaum lunged at his gun, and that he felt his safety was compromised.

While running away from that scene, he began to get chased anew by a crowd ... with a few members getting their licks in by hitting him with a skateboard, kicking him while he was down ... and approaching him with a handgun. Here, too, he claimed he feared for his life -- and felt he needed to fire his rifle in what Rittenhouse's team says was self-defense.

There were several key moments from the trial ... including the Assistant D.A. Thomas Binger constantly getting scolded and rebuffed by Judge Bruce Schroeder -- especially when Binger tried classifying Rittenhouse's silence after his arrest as a sign of guilt ... a big legal no-no.

Of course, there was also the moment Kyle himself took the stand in his own defense -- during which he broke down and cried while recounting the shootings.

Binger pointing Rittenhouse's actual gun at the jury during closing arguments was a highlight ... which he seemed to do for dramatic effect in making his final point, but which also caught a lot of backlash for what many considered a reckless and unsafe demonstration.

Now that Rittenhouse's fate is sealed ... there is a new round of protests expected in the city, and officials are preparing for the worst (again).

Witnessing Young Dolph's murder at close range is having a powerful and painful impact on employees at the Memphis cookie shop ... but their bosses are doing what they can to support them.

As you know, the rapper was gunned down at Makeda's Cookies, and store owners Maurice and Pamela Hill tell us the 3 staffers working during Wednesday's shooting are traumatized, distraught and in disbelief.

Maurice and Pamela say the impacted employees will be allowed to take time off until they feel good enough to return, and in the meantime, they will remain on the payroll.

We're told none of the folks working in the store were hurt in the shooting -- strong evidence Dolph was targeted by the gunman -- and the Hills are grieving and praying for his family.

Maurice says Dolph -- a frequent customer and advocate for Makeda's -- had come inside to buy cookies and was on his phone when the 2 gunmen pulled up and started shooting.

As we reported ... cops have released surveillance footage of the gunmen and the getaway car -- a light-colored Mercedes-Benz -- but no arrests have been made.

There's a makeshift memorial outside the store, which is now boarded up ... and Pamela says they're not sure when they will reopen. They're taking time to let the community grieve.

It might be a while before things get back to business as usual. As we reported, there was another shooting Thursday -- not far from the store -- which sent mourners scurrying from the makeshift memorial to Dolph.

Jadakiss is torn up over Young Dolph getting gunned down ... he says hip-hop culture needs to stop killing its own artists, and the violence needs to end ASAP.

We got the "Why" rapper at Madison Square Garden and asked him how he's coping after the murder of Young Dolph -- an artist he's worked with in the past.

Jadakiss says the whole thing is very sad and he's tired of seeing hip-hop artists dying way too young, especially when it's because of violence or some old beef.

As we reported ... Dolph was shot and killed Wednesday in his hometown of Memphis while getting cookies from one of his favorite spots. His life was taken moments before he intended to hand out Thanksgiving turkeys in his old neighborhood.

Jadakiss says the whole thing is tragic and emblematic of a larger problem in the hip-hop community ... and he wants things to change STAT.

Fans hoping to pay tribute to Young Dolph at the site he was gunned down were faced with a life-threatening situation of their own when someone opened fire near the memorial.

In a video from the scene, you see multiple people gathered outside Makeda's Cookies where a lot of balloons and flowers have amassed. Off-camera you hear the loud "pop" of a gunshot, and fans scatter from the scene in the clip from ABC24 Memphis.

Memphis police tell us they're currently on scene at a location about half a mile from the cookie shop where one man was shot ... he's in non-critical condition. Cops say they immediately detained two suspects, and a third was detained after a short chase.

The shooting comes one day after Dolph was shot and killed outside the cookie shop. In his murder, Dolph was ambushed by two men with weapons, murdering him in broad daylight.

Cops have not named any suspects or made any arrests in Dolph's killing, but have released images of both the suspects and their getaway cars.

As we reported, officers descended upon a nearby restaurant owned by Yo Gotti -- who Dolph has beef with -- shortly after the murder out of fear of retaliation. Yo Gotti has not been linked to the death in any way.

New video shows Young Dolph in his final moments ... just down the street from the cookie store where he would be gunned down and killed.

As you know, Dolph was rolling around his hometown of Memphis Wednesday in his Corvette Stingray. It's a pretty distinct ride as it's camo-wrapped, and before he hit up Makeda's cookie store ... he stopped to fill up at a nearby gas station.

The video, shot by someone at a neighboring pump, momentarily shows Dolph in a yellow t-shirt, jeans and a ball cap.

Witnesses say the rapper went straight from the gas station to Makeda's where the gunmen opened fire with a pistol and an AK-47 ... killing Dolph.

As we first reported ... his next stop was supposed to be at his annual Thanksgiving turkey giveaway in his old neighborhood.

The gunmen who allegedly opened fire on Young Dolph, striking and killing the rapper at a Memphis cookie shop were brazen in their attack ... as shown in new images from the murder.

TMZ has obtained surveillance stills from Wednesday's shooting showing two men, with almost their entire bodies covered -- grey sweatpants, jackets, hat/hood and masks -- gunning Dolph down. One man appears to have a pistol and the other a Draco AK-47 pistol.

Cops were quick to the scene, blocking it off, but an employee at the cookie shop tells us the men immediately sped away in what is believed to be a lighter colored Mercedes after opening fire.

About an hour after Dolph's murder, more patrol cars and officers with weapons out stood guard outside Prive, a nearby restaurant owned by Yo Gotti. While Gotti has yet to be tied to the murder in any way, he and Dolph have beef that stems back several years.

Law enforcement sources told us employees at Prive called, concerned there may be some sort of retaliation against Gotti for Dolph's killing.

As of this post, police have still not named the suspects or made any arrests in connection to Dolph's murder.

Dolph's attorney and friend, Scott Hall, tells us the rapper was supposed to attend a charity turkey giveaway later in the day on Wednesday.

He was just 36.

Jacob Blake says race is absolutely at play in Kyle Rittenhouse's trial, arguing ... if the guy was not white, he'd very likely be thrown in prison without a second thought.

The man whose police-involved shooting sparked the Kenosha protests where Rittenhouse opened fire spoke to TMZ about the case -- and like many observing the trial, he believes the 18-year-old is about to skate due to white privilege.

We'll let JB speak for himself here, but the bottom line is ... if Rittenhouse were a POC, he'd swiftly be found guilty and wouldn't be hailed a hero.

As for why Blake thinks race is a factor -- he points to the now-infamous photo of Rittenhouse posing with guys in a bar after he'd posted bond, and flashing what many perceived as a white supremacy sign.

You gotta watch how he characterizes this because he's not labeling Rittenhouse as good or bad, but more as someone who had no business inserting himself in the Kenosha protests.

According to Jacob, all the aftermath following his shooting -- Kyle's saga, as well as the destruction in Kenosha -- is an unfortunate byproduct of what he considers the larger, unresolved, issues between police and POC.

Regardless of the jury's verdict for Rittenhouse ... Jacob says he hopes people will refrain from more rioting.

One final thing ... Jacob gave us an update on how he's doing personally, with his health, and otherwise. Sounds like he's getting unsolicited attention and celebrity, but in reality, he says he doesn't wanna be the poster child for any of this.

Police are apparently ready for any possible retaliation that may come in the wake of Young Dolph's murder ... standing outside the Memphis restaurant owned by Yo Gotti, one of Dolph's rivals.

Dolph was gunned down Wednesday outside a Memphis cookie store, and just a couple hours later, swarms of police cars were stationed outside Prive restaurant -- about 10 miles from where Dolph was killed.

It's currently unclear if there was an actual threat made against the restaurant, or if cops are just being proactive in preventing any possible payback. Dolph's killer is also unknown at this time, and there have been no public connections to Yo Gotti surrounding his murder.

A source at the cookie store where Dolph was shot told us a vehicle pulled up and opened fire, striking and killing the rapper.

As for their beef, the feud between Young Dolph and Yo Gotti has been percolating for years, including a tweet Dolph rattled off in 2016 saying, "Bra went from bein my #1 fan and wanting to sign me to bein my BIGGEST HATER." He also referred to Yo Gotti as "lame" multiple times during an interview with "The Breakfast Club."

Dolph's attorney and friend, Scott Hall, told us the rapper was scheduled to hand out turkeys Wednesday and stopped at the cookie store where he was killed before the charity event.

Young Dolph has been shot and killed in his hometown ... TMZ has confirmed.

The rapper was gunned down Wednesday in Memphis, TN outside a local cookie store ... and there's already a massive police presence with people recording the aftermath. A video from the crime scene shows his car parked outside the shop while police investigate. FOX13 Memphis was first to report Dolph's death.

A source says Dolph went into the store, and a vehicle pulled up, firing through a front window and striking the rapper.

Young Dolph has been targeted in the past ... back in 2017, he was struck by multiple bullets outside a shoe store in Hollywood, getting hit in the arms and buttocks, requiring surgery.

Earlier that same year, Dolph's SUV was shot at over 100 times while he was in Charlotte, NC in a shooting that saw an arrest warrant issued for Blac Youngsta, who later turned himself in. The charges against BY were eventually dropped.

As Dolph explained to us in the wake of that shooting, he dropped $600,000 for a pair of bulletproof vehicles and he chalked up the hail of gunfire to jealousy and hate because he's rich and successful.

Last time we got Dolph out was in 2019. He talked to our cameras about the Lakers and Juice WRLD's death.

Dolph leaves behind a son and a daughter. He was only 36.

He's known for several hits, such as "Major" and "On the River." He released 7 studio albums, starting in 2016 with his debut album, "King of Memphis."

George Clooney is speaking his piece on the fatal shooting that claimed Halyna Hutchins' life -- and he's torching the entire "Rust" crew over the tragedy, especially the assistant director.

The legendary actor weighed in while he was on Marc Maron's 'WTF' podcast and he didn't hold back one bit ... lighting up AD Dave Halls, armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed and the producers at large, who he says clearly skimped.

GC's biggest gripe is the gun that was handed to Alec should never have been handled by Halls ... but rather, Hannah herself or the head prop master.

George says there's been strict protocol for gun use on every set he's been on, and notes ... the protocol was grossly violated on "Rust," going on to say he's never even heard of the term "cold gun" -- while labeling the whole saga "insane" and "infuriating."

Now, while Mr. Clooney stops short of criticizing Alec Baldwin directly -- whom he says he doesn't know well -- he does make a stark comparison in how he's dealt with guns on set, and how AB apparently did.

George explains that anytime he's used a gun on camera, he's always checked it himself -- and does so extensively too ... saying he opens it, examines the chamber, shows it to whoever he's pointing it too and even fires six times at the ground as a final safeguard.

According to Santa Fe authorities, Alec didn't do any of that -- and ended up pointing the gun at Halyna and director Joel Souza during a blocking setup, and firing.

There's more George touches on -- including the producers of this film allegedly cutting crucial corners that allowed for an unsafe environment to fester, which is unfathomable to him considering the tragedy that killed Brandon Lee in the '90s.

The prosecutor in the Kyle Rittenhouse case is drawing fire for pointing an AR-15 directly at the jury ... and critics are comparing his conduct to the fatal shooting on the "Rust" set.

Assistant D.A. Thomas Binger was in the middle of his closing argument Monday, when he tried to stage a re-enactment of the scene captured on drone video, just before Rittenhouse opened fire ... killing 2 and wounding a third.

Binger was trying to show the jury how ominous the 18-year-old defendant was on the streets of Kenosha back in August 2020 ... by grabbing the gun in open court and pointing squarely at the 18 people in the jury box ... 12 of whom were selected to decide the fate of Rittenhouse.

Binger violated the first rule of gun safety ... don't point the weapon at human beings just for show. As you know, one of the protocols broken on the "Rust" set was just that ... Baldwin was pointing the gun at the Assistant Director and the Cinematographer.

The demonstration drew the ire of a bunch of folks on social media ... "Rittenhouse prosecution DA points a gun at the jury, finger on the trigger, to give an example of what it looks like working with Alec Baldwin on a movie set."

Another wrote, "Binger and Alec Baldwin need to attend a firearms safety class taught by Kyle Rittenhouse." And, there's more ... "Prosecutor in Rittenhouse case aimed a gun with his finger on the trigger at the jury while saying someone was reckless with his gun."

Alec Baldwin is being made a scapegoat in the fatal "Rust" shooting because of political views ... at least according to his brother.

Daniel Baldwin appeared Monday on "The Domenick Nati Show" ... and during the radio hit, he said his brother should NOT be taking the blame for the fatal incident on set.

The way Daniel sees it ... Alec is being scapegoated because he's the big star with outspoken political views, making for an easy target.

Daniel says ... "You know Alec's got the name though doesn't he, so let's go ahead and take Alec for his political views and the many, many wonderful things he's done for different charities and people and his wife and let's see if we can't sensationalize this and go after Alec."

DB adds ... "This is what he faces because he's opinionated and he's strong-headed and he has really staunch views on certain things and those people who don't like him will take advantage of him and persecute his wife. He's a target."

While Daniel doesn't go into Alec's political views, it's no secret Alec did not like Donald Trump, often imitating the former President on 'SNL,' and endorsing Barack Obama back in the day.

Remember ... one of the first to publicly pile on Alec was Donald Trump Jr., who posted t-shirts reading, "Guns don't kill people, Alec Baldwin kills people."

While it seems Don Jr.'s actions support Daniel's scapegoating theory, it's worth noting the District Attorney investigating the case in New Mexico, Mary Carmack-Altwies, is a Democrat.

Instead, Daniel says the armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, is responsible for the death of Halyna Hutchins ... along with assistant director Dave Halls.

In Daniel's eyes, Alec is exonerated by the fact folks on set told police Halls announced the gun he handed AB was "cold," meaning it did not have live ammunition.

As you know it was a fatal mistake ... the revolver in Alec's hands turned out to have live ammo.

Daniel says the buck stops with the armorer, but he's wondering why Halls said it was a "cold" gun if Halls didn't verify it ... and he thinks it's clear rules weren't being followed on set.

Daniel says Alec really liked Halyna and had spent some time with her family ... and we saw Alec with the family in the wake of the shooting.

No charges have been filed and no arrests have been made ... but Daniel believes when the dust settles AB won't be the one going to jail.

NFL linebacker Nigel Bradham -- who helped the Eagles win the 2018 Super Bowl -- was arrested Saturday ... after cops say they found guns and over 3 pounds of weed in his sports car.

According to court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, Bradham was pulled over in Leon County, Fla. after cops say the tag on his C8 Corvette did not belong to his car.

During the stop, officers say they noticed a strong smell of marijuana coming from his ride ... adding that Bradham told them he had a gun in the glove compartment as well.

Officers in the docs say Bradham told them he did not have his medical marijuana card on him, and cops say his name didn't show up in the registry. Officers then searched the vehicle -- and claim they found a huge amount of weed.

Cops say Bradham had "10 small plastic bags with marijuana in them" inside a satchel that also contained a Smith & Wesson pistol in it.

Officers also say when they searched the trunk of the Corvette, they found two more "large bags" of weed -- and say, in total, they located 3.45 lbs of marijuana in Bradham's car.

In the docs, cops also say the search on the gun in Bradham's glovebox, a Glock 23, came back as stolen in Missouri.

Bradham was eventually arrested and booked on three felonies -- possessing marijuana with the intent to sell, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and possession of marijuana over 20 grams.

Court records show he posted bond on Sunday.

Sean Kingston allegedly punched and pulled a firearm on a music video director who had been staying in his home ... and we're told cops are now involved.

The music video director, who works under the handle GXDLIKE, tells TMZ ... he had been working and living at Sean's Los Angeles-area home for about 3 months when Sean allegedly assaulted him.

The guy claims Sean summoned him from the downstairs area of the home around 2 AM on Nov. 5 and wanted him to film something for the singer, but he says his phone was dead. He claims he then went downstairs to grab his camera and returned upstairs, but couldn't remember the name of the app to transfer the files.

The music video director alleges Sean got frustrated and punched him in the face, then dragged him into the hallway and pulled out a firearm ... telling him to pack up and get out. Law enforcement sources confirm that GXDLIKE has filed a police report with the LAPD for the incident.

The director claims the alleged attack left him with cuts on his face, but no major injuries.

The judge in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial did something that, on its face, seems pure and patriotic -- but, arguably it could also, unjustly, impact the outcome of the trial.

Judge Bruce Schroeder opened proceedings Thursday in Kenosha, WI by saying he wanted to take a moment to recognize Veterans Day. He asked if there were any military vets on the jury, or anywhere in the courtroom.

Only one person responded ... John Black, a member of Rittenhouse's defense team. Judge Schroeder then asked everyone in court to applaud Black for his service, which they did.

Now, it's Veterans Day and no one's saying Black doesn't deserve the respect. The issue here is ... because Black is the defense's use-of-force expert, should the judge solicit applause for him???

The questionable move by Judge Schroeder comes a couple of days after he ripped into the prosecutor for raising the fact Rittenhouse was silent after his arrest to jurors ... which they could read as a sign of guilt.

To be fair ... anyone with a passing knowledge of law knows you have a right to remain silent, so the prosecutor earned that tongue-lashing.