Man, 22, is charged with murder for 'shooting dead Chicago rapper King Von, 26, in gunfight outside Atlanta hookah lounge'
- Timothy Leeks, 22, of Savannah, was arrested on Saturday just a day after a furious gun battle erupted outside the Monaco Hookah Lounge in Atlanta
- Investigators initially said three people died in the shooting, but police said Saturday two were killed and a third remained in critical condition
- Among those killed was King Von, real name Dayvon Daquan Bennett, who was fatally wounded in the club’s parking lot and later pronounced dead in hospital
- The Atlanta Police Department said Leeks is in custody at Grady Hospital where he was undergoing treatment for a gunshot wound
- The other victims have not been named and it’s still unclear who shot them
- The Georgia Bureau is investigating the incident as an officer-involved shooting after Atlanta police working in the area attempted to intervene in the shootout
A Georgia man has been charged with murder in the fatal shooting of Chicago-born rapper King Von outside a club in Atlanta late last week.
Timothy Leeks, 22, of Savannah, was arrested on Saturday following a furious gun battle that erupted outside the Monaco Hookah Lounge just after 4am on Friday morning.
Investigators initially reported that three people died in the shooting, but police said Saturday two were killed and a third remained in critical condition. Three others were also wounded.
Among those killed was King Von, real name Dayvon Daquan Bennett, who was fatally wounded in the club’s parking lot and later pronounced dead in hospital.
In a statement issued after Leeks’ arrest, the Atlanta Police Department said he was in custody at Grady Hospital and was undergoing treatment for a gunshot wound.
‘The homicide of Bennett is closed with this arrest,’ the spokesperson told the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
Scroll down for video
Dayvon Daquan Bennett (above), known professionally as King Von, was among those killed in the furious shootout at around 4am on Friday at the Monaco Hookah Lounge
The shootout occurred in the parking lot (above) of the downtown Monaco Hookah Lounge
The names of the additional victims in the incident have not been released, and it’s still unclear who shot them.
The Georgia Bureau is investigating the incident as an officer-involved shooting after Atlanta police working in the area attempted to intervene in the shootout.
Two of the officers involved were in uniform working off-duty security jobs at the hookah lounge, and a third was on-duty nearby, according to police. None of the officers were injured.
Rumors surrounding the incident claimed Bennett was killed by police gunfire, but APD officials said their investigators believe the rapper ‘was shot during the initial shootout between the two groups of males, prior to police responding and attempting to stop the shooting.’
It’s unclear if addition suspects are being sought. So far, police have only announced a murder charge against Leeks.
Investigators with the GBI say that Bennett and a group of men had left the Opium Nightclub and gone to the Monaco Hookah Lounge on Trinity Street, where they got into a heated argument with another group in the parking lot.
'The argument quickly escalated to gunfire between the two groups,' the GBI said in a statement.
Bennett, 26, was signed to rapper Lil Durk's record label, Only the Family, and known for his singles Rolling and Took Her To The O
The location of the Monaco Hookah Lounge is seen above, under a different name in 2018
Surveillance footage captured outside of the club that was later posted to Twitter shows a large group of men fighting outside, when one suspect appears to open fire, leaving at least two people apparently shot in the street.
Several people then race over the help one of the victims, who is laying on the ground. They attempt to lift the victim up and haul him to safety, but his body appears limp and lifeless.
Moments later, the group is seen waving over the driver of a black SUV. The vehicle races towards them and the victim is loaded in the back before the car speeds away from the scene.
Bennett had only just released his debut studio album, Welcome to O’Block, on October 30. He was signed to fellow Chicago rapper Lil Durk’s OTF record label.
He grew up in the section of Parkway Gardens on Chicago's South Side known as 'O'Block,' which is considered one of the most dangerous blocks in the city.
He was also known by the street name 'Grandson' in reference to David Barksdale, the founder of the Black Disciples. Bennett was allegedly a member of the gang.
Bennett previously beat a murder rap in connection with a May 2014 shooting in Chicago, walking free after witnesses failed to testify.
Bennett previously beat a murder rap in connection with a May 2014 shooting in Chicago, walking free after witnesses failed to testify
He was facing prosecution in Atlanta at the time of his death on charges including attempted murder in connection with a robbery and shooting at a popular drive-in in February of last year.
His collaborator Lil Durk, whose real name is Durk Derrick Bank, was a co-defendant in that case, and their bail terms prohibited the two men from having contact.
Leeks, meanwhile, had been one of five suspects arrested by Savannah Police in August when cops seized more than 15 pounds of marijuana and nearly $16,000 in cash, according to the Savannah Morning News.
The 22-year-old, who graduated from Jenkins High School in 2016, was charged with attempt or conspiracy to violate the Georgia Controlled Substance Act, theft by receiving stolen property and obstruction, records show.
The GBI said that its independent investigation continues into Friday's gunfight. Once the investigation is complete, it will be submitted to the Fulton County District Attorney's Office for review.
No comments: