There have been more arrests in the shooting of the killed hip-hop artist King Von in Atlanta.
King Von, whose real name was Dayvon Bennett, was among six people shot Nov. 6 outside an Atlanta hookah bar. A brawl outside the Monaco Hookah Lounge resulted in a shootout and King Von, 26, was fatally shot. One other shooting victim died as well, 34-year-old Mark Blakley. Three others, including the King Von’s manager, were also recovering from gun shot wounds.
Police said the suspect who is believed to have shot the hip-hop artist, 22-year-old Timothy Leeks, was also wounded in the shooting and is in custody.
In addition to Leeks’ arrest, Johnny Harris and Kevin Jones were also taken into custody. Two other men, 21-year-old Johnny Harris and 23-year-old Kevin Jones, have since been charged for their alleged roles in the shootout, Atlanta police spokesman Sgt. John Chafee told Atlanta Journal–Constitution. Jones faces one count of aggravated assault and Harris has been charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Leeks is facing a felony murder charge, among other charges.
Both the Atlanta Police Department and Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) were involved in the investigation. The police have closed the murder investigation for King Von’s death, but have not been able to determine who caused Blakley’s death and shot the other victims.
Following King Von‘s passing, numerous artists and fans took to social media to offer their respect.
One fan tweeted, “My days be starting like a #KingVon song…i wake up and hear, ‘Von…Von…’ and then I jump outta bed and start rapping. No, but for real. I hear Von’s voice before I sleep, when I wake. This one is really getting me, which is crazy because Von was about that life.”
Another commented about the slew of hip-hop murders by tweeting, “It feels everybody rapper I listen to dies”
Surveillance footage posted to Twitter appears to show King Von getting shot. In the video, a large group is seen exiting the club as punches are thrown. The group scatters after a man steps out from behind an SUV and begins firing, Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
Two police officers were working off-duty security jobs at the hookah lounge and a third was on-duty nearby, authorities said. Two responded, confronted the shooters, and exchanged gunfire.
Because two Atlanta Police officers fired their weapons, the Atlanta police department asked the GBI to step in and investigate the officers’ use of force in the case. Part of the investigation is to determine who was hit by gunfire from the suspects and who was hit by gunfire from the officers, 11 Alive reported.
“At this time, our investigators believe Mr. Bennett was shot during the initial shootout between the two groups of males, prior to police responding and attempting to stop the shooting,” Atlanta police said previously.
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King Von had recently released a 16-track album, “Welcome To O’Block,” and was set to premiere a music video for his song “Armed & Dangerous” on the day he was killed, AJC reported.
Von’s friends and family are still grieving his loss. On Nov. 14, they held a private funeral, Hot New Hip Hop reported.
