Wikimedia Commons/Instagram Was King Von killed by the police?
King Von was shot and killed in a wild shootout outside an Atlanta, Georgia, nightclub, according to social media posts from his friends. The cause of death is gunfire; however, who shot King Von is not yet clear.
Did Atlanta police shoot King Von to death? That’s the claim some people are making on Twitter. What are the facts? A friend of King Von’s said police were shooting but didn’t kill King Von. For their part, Atlanta police said the officers were working security in uniform off duty and that it’s under investigation whose gunfire killed the victims in the shooting. Three people died.
But Atlanta police told Heavy they believe King Von was shot and killed before police responded in an attempt to “stop the shooting.” They have not given a suspect name. In a statement, police told Heavy:
It is our understanding Dayvon Bennett, aka King Von was shot and killed during this morning’s shooting and we are seeing rumors being spread indicating he was shot and killed by APD officers. 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. Additionally, Mr. Bennett was not located at the scene, but arrived at a hospital shortly after the shooting, via private vehicle. The investigation into this incident remains open and very active.
One hip-hop website shared dispatch audio from Chicago police. An officer says in the dispatch audio, “Last night in Atlanta, the police shot King Von and two of his people. Social media is active. They’re upset with the police so if we have any jobs in Parkway, send two cars every time, okay? And keep your eyes open. Be wary. They’re not happy with the police over there.” However, the jurisdiction where the shooting occurred was Atlanta, not Chicago, and police there say King Von was shot before police even got there.
“Parkway” in the dispatch audio likely refers to Parkway Gardens Homes in Chicago, where King Von grew up.
Here’s what you need to know:
King Von’s Friend Tweeted That the Police Didn’t Kill King Von but ‘Did Engage in a Shoot Out’
It’s with great sadness that I have to confirm that King Von has passed away. I spoke with his manager who luckily has survived being shot and is currently recovering in the hospital. However, Von manager did confirm that Von was shot and did not make it. 😢 RIP King Von
DJ Akademiks tweeted: “It’s with great sadness that I have to confirm that King Von has passed away. I spoke with his manager who luckily has survived being shot and is currently recovering in the hospital. However, Von manager did confirm that Von was shot and did not make it. RIP King Von.”
Did Atlanta police kill King Von? DJ Akademiks said no but added that police got involved in a shootout and the rapper was not armed. “From my convo with Von manager who survived getting shot, he says it wasn’t the police who killed King Von. However, he did say Police did engage in a shoot out with other armed individuals who were there. King Von reportedly was unarmed,” he wrote.
Atlanta authorities have only confirmed the identity of King Von and not those of the other people shot. King Von’s real name is Dayvon Daquan Bennett.
#chopsquaddj reacts to #kingvon passing 😓
DJ On Da Beat wrote on Instagram: “My heart can’t take this. No bro. Why you. Why bro. Please just FaceTime me bro. Why they had to take you. Ima see you again this shit ain’t over. It’s far from over. We still just getting started. RIP my Bestfriend. The only n*gga to listen to me word for word from day 1. We sat on FaceTime for hours making songs together. Every bar had a meaning and every song was a part of our soul. Every moment meant something and to grow wit you made me feel like I was a real producer. I love you bro @kingvonfrmdao.”
He is described by HotNewHipHop.com as King Von’s best friend and producer.
“King Von has reportedly died from his injuries sustained in the shooting this morning. Rest in paradise to a young king,” the site My Mixtapez wrote on Twitter.
Atlanta Police Say Off-Duty Atlanta Police Officers Were Involved
Heavy reached out to Atlanta police to verify the news. When we asked if King Von was a victim in the shooting, Atlanta police public information officer Steve Avery initially told Heavy in a statement, “The identities of the involved parties are being withheld pending confirmation that the next of kin have been notified.” The police have later updated their press release on the shooting to say that three people have died and three others are in the hospital. Previous reports had indicated that two people died with one in critical condition and more wounded. Heavy has not yet received comments from King Von’s reps. The Fulton County Medical Examiner’s office said it couldn’t release any information about the shooting death pending next of kin notification.
Just hours before the shooting, King Von wrote on Instagram, “Armed & Dangerous Video Drops 2’morrow. 🔥🔥🔥🦁🔥🔥🔥.. y’all want it?” He posted about an Atlanta appearance on November 5.
Atlanta police and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation are investigating a shootout in downtown Atlanta “that involved shots fired at off-duty officers,” reported WSB-TV.
Atlanta police told Heavy:
On Friday November 6, 2020 at around 3:20am two off-duty Atlanta police officers were working an extra job at Monaco Hookah Lounge 255 Trinity Av SW. The officers were in uniform and a marked APD vehicle with its blue lights activated for visibility was parked nearby. The officers were outside the lounge when two groups of males started to argue with each other. The argument quickly escalated to gunfire between the two groups. One of the off-duty officers, along with an on-duty Atlanta police officer who was patrolling nearby, confronted the shooters and shots were fired during the encounter. Three suspects were located on-scene with gunshot wounds and were transported to the hospital by EMS. Three other suspects left the scene and were taken to the hospital by private vehicles. Two additional suspects were detained on scene.
Three of the persons shot in the incident have died as a result of their wounds and three others are being treated in area hospitals. The officers were not injured. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation was requested to respond and investigate the officer involved shooting aspect of the incident. Atlanta Police Homicide investigators responded to the scene and are investigating the homicides. Part of the investigations will include determining which individuals were struck by gunfire from the suspects and whether any were struck by gunfire from the officers. Charges are anticipated against the two suspects detained on-scene and additional charges are likely as the investigation continues.
The identities of the parties involved are being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
Please keep in mind the above information is preliminary in nature and could change as the investigation progresses or new information comes to light.
Atlanta police Deputy Chief Timothy Peek said the incident ignited as an “argument between two groups of people” that turned “physical in the parking lot,” according to AJC. It was around 3 a.m.
“That physical altercation escalated into an exchange of gunfire with those groups,” Peek said in a press conference at the scene. “Two police officers who were working at that particular club, or lounge, noticed the altercation and engaged some of the people involved. There was an exchange of gunfire with police as well.”
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