The killings of two teenagers are believed by Atlanta police to be related to a gang rivalry they said was fueled by a music video shoot involving rapper Lil Baby.
Seven people were arrested on charges related to the shooting deaths Tuesday of 13-year-old Jakody Davis and Lamon Freeman.
Authorities announced Wednesday that Richard Hollis, 20; Ali Caldwell, 19; Reginald Thomas, 21; Markus Crawford, 19; Quiyontay Sanders; DeKeitheon Mable; and Tradon Crawford were arrested in connection to the shooting.
In July 2024, Freeman was celebrating his birthday when the three teens were shot dead on Verbena Street in northwestern Atlanta.
Feuding Gangs Shoot Each Other Over Music Video Shooting
The violence was related to a music video being filmed in what police called "rival territoy," said Major Ralph Woolfolk of the Atlanta Police Department's Violent Crime Interdiction Section.
"Gang violence that was orchestrated by adults, adults in our city, and cowardly acts of an Atlanta-based rapper that decided to go over into a rival gang's stronghold and shoot a music video in a place he knew he should not have been," Woolfolk said, according to Atlanta News First.
Local media reported that, in court documents, the police investigation noted that the rapper mentioned was Lil Baby, born Dominique Jones. Three men had been shot during the video shooting, and police said the incident triggered a series of retaliation shootings and murders.
Read more: Lil Baby Explains Why He Doesn't Approve of Kendrick Lamar's 'Not Like Us' Lyrics About Him
The attack on the teens was likely ordered by a high-level gang member using an illegal phone while incarcerated in a Georgia prison, investigators suspect.
Frank and Richard are the only named suspects in the murders, and a $50,000 reward was instilled.
This is based on the information obtained back in August 2024, when Lil Baby was taken into custody for possessing an unregistered gun. He was arrested in Las Vegas after a fight.
Authorities stated that his permit for the firearm was issued in Georgia and was not lawfully valid in Nevada.
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