A$AP Rocky will face felony assault charges in connection with the shooting death of a former member of his group, the A$AP Mob.
Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon announced the charges Monday.
Rocky, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, 33, faces two counts of assault with a semi-automatic firearm.
The incident happened on November 6, 2021, when his girlfriend, Rihanna, was four months pregnant.
The Sundress singer was originally arrested in connection with the shooting at Los Angeles International Airport in April 2022, a month before Ri-Ri gave birth.
Rocky will be tried on August 17 in a courtroom in downtown Los Angeles.
In a statement, Gascon’s office said: “Discharging a gun in a public place is a serious crime that could have ended in tragic consequences not only for the person attacked, but also for innocent bystanders visiting Hollywood.”
He continued, “My office conducted a thorough review of the evidence in this case and determined that the addition of a special firearms complaint was warranted.”
The shooting took place in November 2021, when his girlfriend, Rihanna, was four months pregnant.
A$AP Relli, whose real name is Terell Ephron, claims the rapper shot him in the area of Selma and Argyle avenues in Hollywood after an argument.
A$AP Relli, whose real name is Terell Ephron, claims the rapper shot him in the area of Selma and Argyle avenues in Hollywood after an argument.
His identity was first revealed earlier this month by Rolling Stone.
Rocky is accused of approaching a Relli in the street around 10.15pm on November 6 and firing a gun at him three or four times.
One of the bullets reportedly grazed Relli’s left hand and he later sought medical treatment.
After the shooting, Rocky and two other men, who they were said to be walking with, fled the scene.
Authorities cooperated with Relli and were eventually able to name Mayers as a suspect in the shooting.
The case is still being investigated by the LAPD’s Homicide-Robbery Unit.
Rocky performs on the main stage during Day 1 of Wireless Festival 2022 at Crystal Palace Park on July 1, 2022 in London, England
Before his arrest in April, a raid on Rocky’s home saw investigators recover several firearms. In April, Rocky was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon.
The rapper was released on $550,000 bail.
In early August, Relli’s lawyers told TMZ that the aspiring rapper had been hit with death threats and called a “snitch” after the shooting.
Attorneys said Relli has been in therapy since the shooting.
In a separate interview, his lawyers told Rolling Stone that Relli was taking Rocky to civil court accusing Mr. Rihanna of causing “irreparable damage to his career in the entertainment industry.”
The legal team told the magazine: “After arriving at the scene, a conversation ensued in which without provocation, warning or justification, A$AP Rocky pulled out a gun and intentionally fired multiple shots at Mr. Ephron.”
The announcement of the charges against Rocky comes on the same day Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon survived a second impeachment attempt.
The announcement of the charges against Rocky comes on the same day Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon survived a second impeachment attempt.
In a region that has seen rising crime rates and brazen robberies and home invasions, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon was blamed for criminal justice reforms that critics say fueled lawlessness, which which the superior prosecutor disputed.
The failed attempt comes after San Francisco voters in June recalled another prominent California criminal justice reformer, District Attorney Chesa Boudin.
It was the second attempt to qualify a recall election that could remove Gascón, after a failed first attempt last year.
The criminal justice reform movement in Los Angeles has prevailed because this is a community that prefers facts to misplaced fear, said Cristine Soto DeBerry, executive director of the Reform Prosecutors Alliance. in a statement.
In a tweet, Gascón wrote that he was “grateful to move on from this attempt to seize political power.”