Houston cops seek shooters in Migos rapper Takeoff’s slaying
HOUSTON (AP) — The fatal shooting of the rapper Takeoff has Houston police asking for the public’s help in identifying who opened fire outside a bowling alley early Tuesday, killing the 28-year-old member of the Grammy-nominated trio Migos and wounding two other people.
Kirsnick Khari Ball, known as Takeoff — one-third of the group along with Quavo and Offset — was shot around 2:30 a.m. An argument had broken out among a group of 40 people who were leaving a private party at the downtown bowling alley, Houston police said.
Police Chief Troy Finner said Takeoff was “well respected” and that he has “no reason to believe he was involved in anything criminal at the time.” The chief said most people fled after the gunfire began and asked anyone who knows or has video of what happened to come forward to help investigators identify the shooters.
At least two people discharged firearms and the two others who were struck have injuries that are not life-threatening, Finner said. They were taken to hospitals in private vehicles.
“Let me just ask … that anyone who has information on the shooter or shooters to provide that information to HPD and let us solve this situation,” Mayor Sylvester Turner said at a news conference Tuesday afternoon. “Let us bring justice to this family.”
The shooting happened at 810 Billiards & Bowling, which is in a three-story Houston retail complex that includes high-end restaurants, a House of Blues and is near a Four Seasons hotel. Takeoff was pronounced dead at the scene. An Associated Press reporter observed a body loaded into a medical examiner’s van around 10 am, more than seven hours after the shooting.
Security guards in the area heard the shooting but did not see who did it, a police spokesperson said. A spokesperson for 810 Billiards & Bowling said the shooting took place after the alley closed and said the business is cooperating with investigators.
Several fans gathered across the street from the bowling alley. Isaiah Lopez, 24, said he rushed from his home in the Houston suburb of Humble after hearing Takeoff had been killed.
By late Tuesday afternoon, fans of Takeoff had created a memorial with roses, candles and a teddy bear on the first floor of the retail complex. Yellow crime scene tape still blocked off stairs leading to 810 Billiards & Bowling.
Takeoff was the youngest member of Migos, the rap trio from suburban Atlanta that also featured his uncle Quavo and cousin Offset. They first broke through with the massive hit “Versace” in 2013.