UPDATE: On Monday, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office charged four people, two men and two teenagers, with killing the rapper Pop Smoke. The two men, Corey Walker and Keandre Rodgers, were charged with murder during a robbery and burglary, which makes them eligible for the death penalty, or life in prison without parole. In a statement, the L.A. DA’s office said, “A decision on whether to seek capital punishment will be made at a later date.” The two teenagers, meanwhile, aged 17 and 15, will each face one charge of murder and robbery in juvenile court.
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The Los Angeles Police Department announced Thursday that five men have been arrested in connection with the murder of rising rapper Pop Smoke, born Bashar Jackson.
“LAPD Detectives have arrested three adult males & two juvenile males related to the Feb 19th murder of Bashar Jackson, a New York based rapper known as Pop Smoke,” police tweeted Thursday. “We will provide further details as they become available.”
According to TMZ, LAPD executed arrest warrants on the five men early Thursday morning. All five were taken into custody.
The Brooklyn-born Jackson was shot and killed in Los Angeles on February 19th at the age of 20. LAPD responded to an emergency call at 4:20 a.m. after masked gunmen broke into a house where the rapper was staying; Jackson, who was shot multiple times including the chest, was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police later said that four suspects were seen fleeing the scene, but no arrests were made until Thursday.
The arrests come just days after Pop Smoke’s posthumous album Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon was released.
This story is developing.
LAPD Detectives have arrested three adult males & two juvenile males related to the Feb 19th murder of Bashar Jackson, a New York based rapper known as Pop Smoke. We will provide further details as they become available.
— LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) July 9, 2020
