On Wednesday night, Atlanta rapper YFN Lucci, known for hits like “Everyday We Lit” and “Wet (She Got That…)”, turned himself in to police. He is currently facing a murder charge, in addition to other violent charges, in connection to a shooting that occurred in Atlanta on December 10th. Here's everything we know about the evolving situation.
We'll update this page as more details arrive.
The Crime
Around 5:20 pm on the night of December 10th, 2020, Atlanta police officers were asked to respond to an incident on Peeples Street that was described as a serious shooting. In the 911 call, a woman requests an ambulance, saying that she saw a man clinging to a white SUV before being shoved out into the street. The witness described the state of the victim to the 911 operator, explaining that he had suffered a gunshot wound to the head and that she believed he was dying in front of her.
When officers arrived on the scene, they found 28-year-old James Adams lying in the street with a gunshot wound to his head. Atlanta Fire and Rescue attempted to give medical aid to Adams at the crime scene, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
During this time, a second gunshot victim showed up at the Atlanta Fire Station on Lee Street, which was not far from the scene of the original crime. This second victim, identified as 32-year-old Kevin Wright, was conscious but refused to answer any questions about what happened to him. Authorities believe the two shootings are related.
The police later named three suspects in connection with the murder, one of them being YFN Lucci. The other two suspects, Ra’Von Boyd and Leroy Pitts, were caught shortly after the shooting, but Lucci remained hidden from the police until January 13th.
Shortly after the shooting, Boyd, 23, and Pitts, 17, went to South Florida to evade police custody but were eventually found by the Miami-Dade Police Department. Boyd and Pitts both face charges that are similar to YFN Lucci’s, including felony murder, aggravated assault, participation in criminal street gang activity, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Turning Himself In
On Tuesday, January 11th, Atlanta police released a statement saying they were looking for the public’s assistance in finding 29-year-old Rayshawn Bennett, popularly known as YFN Lucci. In the statement, Atlanta Police Department Captain Jason Smith details the charges against Bennett, which include felony murder, aggravated assault, participation in street gang activity, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. A $5,000 reward was offered for Bennett’s arrest and indictment, encouraging the public to reach out with any information they might have on his whereabouts.
Two days later, on Wednesday, January 13th at 4:39 pm, YFN Lucci took to Twitter to promote the release of a new music video. After posting the video, Lucci’s Twitter mentions were flooded with users asking about the arrest warrant, commenting things like “They looking for you” and “My mans outch here tweeting like he ain’t wanted for a whole felony murder charge.”
https://twitter.com/_/status/1349471222376128512
Late Wednesday night, only a few hours after dropping the new video, YFN Lucci reportedly turned himself in to Atlanta police in connection to the murder. Bennett is currently being held in Fulton County Jail until further notice, and any attempts to reach Lucci or his label directly have been unsuccessful so far. His attorney Thomas Reynolds had no comment, saying, “the presumption of innocence is a fundamental constitutional right for every citizen. Beyond this, we have no further comment at this time.”
Victim’s Relationship To YFN Lucci & Lucci's Alleged Role
On Friday (January 15) new details emerged regarding Lucci's role in the accused murder. It is being reported by the AP that the fatal victim in the shooting was a member of YFN Lucci’s crew. Lucci was allegedly behind the wheel, acting as the driver, when they apparently drove through rival gang territory on the night of December 10th. Two people inside Lucci’s car opened fire on the rival gang, and their rivals fired back, hitting James Adams in the head. Someone in Lucci’s vehicle then reportedly “manually ejected” Adams from the vehicle, where he was left to die.
Lucci’s attorney, Drew Findling, maintains that there is no evidence to incriminate Lucci. He told ABC News that a “review of the initial evidence” provided “no basis for any criminal charges.”
YFN Lucci Denied Bond
On Friday (January 15) morning, YFN Lucci attended a bail hearing over Zoom from the Atlanta jail he is currently being held in. In this bail hearing, Lucci’s attorney Drew Findling attempted to argue that Lucci was in no way an aggravator of the assault and murder that occurred and that he should not be found liable for these crimes as the driver of the vehicle. Prosecutor Cara Convery then detailed the rapper’s role in the aggravated assault and subsequent felony murder, which included him allowing those in his vehicle to get out and fire shots, as well as allowing them to push James Adams out of the vehicle, where he would succumb to his injuries.
The prosecutor says that there is more than enough evidence to continue moving forward with the case and to find probable cause for YFN Lucci’s involvement. Lucci was denied bond during this hearing and will remain in custody.
[Via]
