Chicago Artist KTS Dre Murdered After Being Released On Home Monitoring, Mother Shot Too: 5 Things To Know Photo: Londre Sylvester (Cook County Jail)/ Photo by Scott Rodgerson on Unsplash
Rising gun violence in Chicago has taken the life of 31-year-old hip-hop artist KTS Dre, who was gunned down in a shower of bullets moments after he exited Cook County Jail, where he had just bailed out and been fitted with an ankle bracelet for home monitoring.
Born Londre Sylvester, KTS Dre left the Chicago jail before 9 p.m. on July 10 when gunmen got out of two parked cars and shot him 64 times, according to a police report.
Two women were also injured, The New York Post reported. They are believed to be his 60-year old mother and either his fiancee or sister.
Here are five things to know about KTS Dre and his murder.
KTS Dre had been jailed for violating the conditions of his release on a 2020 gun charge, the Chicago Tribune reported. He posted $5,000 bail on July 9 and was released the next day.
The gun charge stemmed from an April 2020 arrest when someone reported that KTS Dre was carrying a gun in his car, ABC News reported. Officers spotted the hip-hop artist parked at a gas station, according to a police report. They approached and reported seeing a 9mm Glock pistol in KTS Dre’s lap. On parole for a 2015 gun conviction, KTS put the car in gear, the report stated. Two officers struggled with him and wrestled him out of the car before he could pull off.
The gunmen shot the hip-hop artist in the face, chest and other places on his body. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The 60-year-old woman with him was shot in her knee. The other woman was grazed in the mouth by a bullet, ABC News reported. The shooters fled in their vehicles in different directions. Police are seeking surveillance footage of the area, reports said.
KTS Dre performed locally and had “KTS” tattooed on his neck alongside a target sign, CWB Chicago reported. KTS stands for “Kill to Survive,” The New York Post reported. He also performed under the name Kutthroat Dreko. One of his tracks, “Kill To Survive,” released in 2015, has more than 4 million views.
He was a member of the Lakeside faction of the Gangster Disciples, according to police. Chicago’s Lakeside community is the heart of Disciples territory, according to the Chicago Tribune. The Lakeside gang, is a set of Gangster Disciples and part of the KTS alliance.
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Many on Twitter compared KTS Dre’s death due to gun violence to the death of his brother, KTS Von. A fellow hip-hop artist, KTS Von released several songs in 2015 and was a reported enemy of Chi-town hip-hop artist G Herbo.
Community activist Charles Preston noted the friction between the KTS crew and NLMB (No Limit Muskegon Boys or Never Leave My Brothers), a gang found in Chicago’s east side. Preston tweeted, “I don’t know who is responsible but KTS and NLMB have been at war for years. I hope all impacted can find some peace.”
Photo by Scott Rodgerson on Unsplash
