Seven years after Chester Taylor and Darius Hastings shot ASAP Press in the back of the head, the New York State Supreme Court found them both guilty of his death. For those unaware, the A$AP Mob member survived the shooting initially, but succumbed to a fatal seizure in 2018 which stemmed from the attack's lingering head injury. Moreover, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg Jr. sentenced the two men to 20 years to life in state prison on two counts second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. In addition, the crimes at hand include second-degree murder and first-degree assault, according to a press release.
Furthermore, their connection stems from ASAP Press reaching out to Taylor through a mutual friend in July of 2016. Press needed a luxury car for a music video shoot, and Taylor set the rent price at $1,000 for two cars, which Press mostly paid off upfront weeks later. However, Taylor did not provide the vehicles as agreed, and the Harlem native's attempts to get his money back were unsuccessful. This kept going on for quite some time, at least for a full month before things escalated.
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ASAP Mob Mourns Its Fallen Member Press
In late August of 2016, Taylor threatened ASAP Press over his consistent attempts and warned him to call it quits over the phone. It's also possible that Press made threats in the other direction, but regardless, after this series of text message interactions, Taylor contacted his friend, Hastings. They met up with the collective member in Harlem and shot him, but he survived. Years later, while attending a music festival in Houston, Press passed away, and a medical examiner found that the seizure directly related to the shooting's head injury.
"Chester Taylor and Darius Hastings shot and killed a young Harlemite with great ambitions, talent and a bright future," the Manhattan D.A. remarked. "Although Pressie Taylor Jr. miraculously survived the shooting in its initial aftermath, his life was forever changed. He made a valiant attempt at resuming his life and music career, but unfortunately, he succumbed to the effects of his serious injuries, depriving his family and community of a promising star. Thanks to the jury’s careful review of the evidence, both defendants were found to be responsible for his murder. I hope that the sentences imposed today bring the victim’s family some form of peace." For more news and the latest updates on the ASAP Mob, come back to HNHH.
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