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Police say that rapper XXXTentacion was shot and killed while sitting in his car on Monday, June 18. A short while after XXX was pronounced dead, the Broward County Sheriff’s Department released a description of the suspects.
“At least one of the suspects fired a gun striking [XXXTentacion]. Both of the suspects fled in a dark-colored SUV. Investigators say it appears to be a possible robbery,” reads the description, in part. According to TMZ, police say that the suspects were “black males wearing hoodies” and that the “shooter was wearing a red mask.”
It didn’t take the internet very long to point out that rapper Soldier Kidd posted a photo that included a red mask. Additionally, he had some weird things posted on his Instagram story that seemed to suggest that he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
On Wednesday, June 20, police arrested 22-year-old Dedrick D. Williams, and booked him for first degree murder. It is unknown if police are seeking any other suspects in the case.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. The Internet Thought Soldier Kidd Was Responsible for XXXTentacion’s Death
Rappers Soldier Kidd and Soldier Jojo were posting various photos and videos on their respective social media all day on Monday. Many of the photos that they shared, including the one above, showed the two rappers with a red mask close by.
Additionally, Soldier Kidd posted a “Boomerang” photo on his Instagram story. The picture showed that he had picked up food from a counter-serve eatery in Deerfield Beach, not too far from where XXX was shot. The image featured a takeout container with what appeared to be fried shrimp and french fries.
Soldier Kidd tagged Hook Fish and Chicken in the photo. If you were to click on the tag, it showed that this particular eatery was indeed the Deerfield Beach location. If you had paused the moving photo, you may have noticed that there was a handgun next to the takeout container. You can see this in the photo below.
Soldier Jojo also posted some interesting photos on his account, which is now private. For example, fans pointed out that he had a red mask atop his head in this photo:
He also appears to be giving the middle finger in the picture, which had a timestamp of June 2. Notably, the image also had the letters “XXX” in red type. While some social media users were quick to jump to conclusions, Solider Kidd and Soldier Jojo identify with an XXX group, as evidenced in their respective Instagram bios. XXX is also the name of their album. It is unclear if there is any connection between the group and XXXTentacion.
2. Soldier Kidd Posted a Video Claiming He Had Nothing to Do With XXX’s Death
https://www.instagram.com/p/BkMC9MJF-66/?hl=en&taken-by=soldier.kidd
Not long after all of the accusations started pouring in, Soldier Kidd posted the above video to his Instagram account.
“I’ve been seeing a lot of comments, I been seeing a lot of thangs going on in social media, saying I had something to do with XXXTentacion’s passing. Man, listen, we all got love for Florida, n****. I got love for bro. I ain’t even know who the man was. We out here handling business. We out here gettin’ money, bro. We don’t got no time for none of this sh*t goin’ on. But listen, all my condolences go to the man’s family and what not. But I just gotta get on the ‘gram and let ya’ know what it is, you feel me? I ain’t had nothing to do with it but I’ma stay positive, keep my head up,” Soldier Kidd explained.
Hundreds of people were quick to comment on the video, many calling Soldier Kidd a liar. Those comments have been removed, however, as Soldier Kidd’s Instagram account no longer allows comments on any posts.
In an earlier video, Soldier Kidd said that he was innocent, and that he had nothing to do with the XXX shooting. He said that he was at his house “all day, popping Xanax and sh*t like that.” You can watch that video below. Be advised that the video may contain strong or offensive language.
3. Soldier Kidd’s Instagram Account Was Deactivated & Then Reinstated With the Comments Turned off
https://www.instagram.com/p/BkG55WKlB1d/?hl=en&taken-by=soldier.kidd
As the internet became more and more suspicious of Soldier Kidd, his account ended up getting deactivated. While some people say that he was hacked, it seems as though he may have just deactivated the account on his own accord.
He was off of social media for a couple of hours, but he returned to the platform on Tuesday evening, posting again about XXXTentacion and calling out people on the internet for blaming him for the crime.
“RIP to a powerful soul @xxxtentacion. Sad how people let social media convict an innocent teenager. But I Don’t have to explain myself to anyone. Justice will B served #TripleX,” he wrote, re-posting the only photo from XXX’s Instagram page.
It appears as though Soldier Jojo was also tired of the gossip; he made his Instagram account private on Tuesday.
4. Soldier Kidd Released a New Single After Getting Loads of Attention
It didn’t take long for Soldier Kidd to capitalize on the publicity he was getting, even if it wasn’t “good” publicity. On Tuesday, June 19, Soldier Kidd decided to drop a new single. He has been posting all kinds of ads for his music on his Instagram story, and even linked to a YouTube video of the song, “100 Band Mafia.”
As you can see in the video above, the artwork for the song features the red mask that has caused so many assumptions over the past 24 hours.
5. Police Arrested Dedrick D. Williams & Booked Him for First Degree Murder
MugshotDedrick D Williams
On Wednesday, June 20, police arrested 22-year-old Dedrick D. Williams, and booked him for first degree murder. It is unknown if police are seeking any other suspects in the case.
Police have asked anyone with information to contact homicide detectives Walt Foster or John Curcio at (954) 321-4210 or Crime Stoppers, anonymously, at (954) 493-TIPS.
