The chief suspect in the shooting of rapper XXXTentacion has been arrested and is in police custody.
X, real name Jahseh Dwayne Onfroy, was killed on Monday in what is believed to be a drive-by shooting. The rapper was shot as he was leaving a motorcycle retailer in Florida. It's believed that as he was leaving the shop, an unidentified gunman approached his car and opened fire, killing him at the scene.
Following the incident, the Broward County Fire Department said that the 20-year-old was rushed to the hospital, where he was later declared dead. Other witnesses at the scene claimed to have multiple shots go off.
Dispatch audio from emergency services who attended the crime scene initially claimed that the incident was a "possible drive-by shooting and the alleged shooters excited the scene in a black Dodge Journey." The dispatch call also said that the suspects were two black males in hoodies and that the shooter was wearing a red mask.
At the time of his death, X was approaching an exciting time in his young career, with the rapper having a score of hits land in the charts and promising new albums to his fans. However, for all the positivity around his career, X was also dogged by accusations of domestic violence and a host of other crimes.
In December 2017, the Florida-born rapper was charged with 15 felony counts relating to a 2016 domestic abuse case. He was also facing trial for domestic violence against his pregnant girlfriend. The rapper was under house arrest but had it lifted so that he could head out on tour.
According to Pitchfork, the day after his death, XXXTentacion's single SAD! amassed 10.4 million streams, beating the record for the most Spotify streams in a single day. In an Instagram story posted before his death, XXXTentacion said: "If I’m gonna die, or ever be a sacrifice, I want to make sure that my life made at least 5 million kids happy – or they found some sort of answers or resolve in my life. Regardless of the negative around my name."
However, while little was initially known about his murderer, 22-year-old Dedrick D Williams has now been taken into custody in connection with the attack.
During a vigil held for the rapper on Wednesday in South Florida, X's mom said that she'd received a text message from the police saying that they had made the arrest: "I just got the text just now, from one of the detectives […] they just arrested them, they got them."
Williams is alleged to have also violated his probation for a previous grand theft charge and is currently being held without bail. According to police, he was taken into custody shortly before 7pm on Wednesday, June 20 in Pompano Beach, Florida.
It's currently unclear whether the second suspect is being pursued following Williams' arrest and our thoughts continue to be with the family and friends of the rapper during this difficult time.
