Takeoff, one-third of rap trio Migos, died aged 28 after a shooting in Houston, Texas.
The rapper – real name Kirshnik Khari Ball – had been at a private party with his bandmate and uncle, Quavo, full name Quavious Keyate Marshall, late on Monday (31 October).
Fellow Migos member Offset was not with them at the time.
According to reports, the shooting began amid a game of dice at a bowling alley. Takeoff was pronounced dead at the scene early on Tuesday (1 November).
While police did not name the victim of a confirmed homicide at the time, but Takeoff’s representative confirmed his death.
Police officers said they were called at approximately 2.34am local time (07.34 GMT) about a shooting outside 810 Billiards and Bowling Alley in downtown Houston where a private party of around 40 people, including Takeoff and Quavo, had been taking place.
The Independent has reached out to Takeoff’s representative for further comment.
Since the shooting, several graphic vidoes – which apparently show the incident and its aftermath – have emerged online. Fans have condemned the sharing of the footage and urged those posting them to remove the videos.
Celebrities including Khloé Kardashian and AJ Tracey have paid tribute to the musician. Fellow rapper Desiigner – behind the hit 2016 song “Panda” – has since shared an emotional video of himself breaking down in tears speaking about the rapper’s death.
The Houston police held a press conference on Tuesday (1 November) to address the fatal shooting.
Police Chief Troy Finner reminded reporters in the room of the “human element” of the incident, stating that has has spoken to Takeoff’s mother.
Finner confirmed that a 23-year-old male and 24-year-old female brought themselves to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries after the incident. This would appear to confirm that Quavo was not injured during the altercation since he is 31 years old.
The police also urged people to remove videos of the incident, which are currently circulating online.
Alongside the late Takeoff and Quavo, Migos also features Offset, who is married to Cardi B.
Migos is a hip-hop rap group established in 2008 in Georgia, US. The three-piece were raised by Takeoff’s mother, growing up on music including Outkast, Lil Wayne, and Hot Boys.
The group have had several successful singles, including “Bad and Boujee” featuring Lil Uzi Vert. The track peaked at No 1 in the Billboard Hot 100 in 2016. They have also achieved two No.1 albums in the US.
You can follow along with live updates on the shooting here.
