A 22-year-old rapper known for his version of the viral children’s song Baby Shark has been shot dead in a suspected robbery gone wrong.
Ralan Styles, real name Michael Robinson, died on Saturday morning in Columbus, Ohio, when a robber allegedly tried to steal his chain, according to Metro.
Columbus Police said officers were called to the scene just before 5am where a man waved them down to a home where the shooting appeared to have taken place, reported The Daily Mail.
Robinson, originally from Tallahassee, Florida, had been shot multiple times and the suspect had fled the scene, Metro reported.
Emergency responders tried to save Robinson but he was pronounced dead at around 5.10am.
Mahamood Abdi Hassan, 24, was later arrested and charged with Robinson’s murder, Columbus Homicide Detective Keith O’Connor told The Independent.
Eyewitnesses had allegedly picked Hassan out of a line-up, reported The Daily Mail.
According to Franklin County court records, Hassan has four prior arrests dating back to 2018, on charges including trespassing and theft.
He is now being held in Franklin County Jail. O’Connor said that he expects more charges will be brought against Hassan this week.
Friends and fellow rappers paid tribute to Ralan Styles online.
Rapper Lil Goat, who referred to Robinson as his brother, wrote on Instagram: “Not my lil brother man. I’m still waiting for you to call me and tell me this whole thing is a joke. My heart is f****** broken, I’ll never be the same.
“We went from rapping at the lunch table together in middle school to becoming superstars. We slept on the floor together, we ate together, we fought together, [and] signed our first deal together. I love you bro, and as long as I’m alive you’ll never die.”
Ralan Styles went viral in 2022 for his version of Baby Shark. The music video had been viewed 1.7 million times on YouTube as of Monday.
