Rapper Takeoff was shot and killed in Houston in the early Tuesday morning, according to TMZ.
The 28-year-old recording artist was part of the group Migos. Law enforcement sources and several witnesses told TMZ that the fatal incident occurred just after 2:30 AM when police were called to 810 Billiards & Bowling Houston.
The sources said Takeoff, whose real name is Kirshnik Khari Ball, was playing dice with bandmate Quavo when a fight broke out among participants. This led to one person allegedly opening fire and striking Takeoff in or near the head. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Two other individuals were also allegedly injured during the altercation and taken to the hospital, but their condition is unknown. The sources said Quavo was not hurt.
A Migos representative confirmed to the Associated Press that Takeoff had died.
Migos is a hip hop group based in Georgia and started in 2008. The three members are all related, with Takeoff being the youngest member and nephew of Quavo. Offset is the third member and is Takeoff’s cousin. Offset is also married to fellow hip hop star Cardi B.
The band rose to fame with the hit song “Versace” in 2013 and then topped charts again with the 2016 rap song “Bad and Boujee.” That song was later certified four times platinum by RIAA, though Takeoff is not credited on the song and can only be seen in the background of the music video.
Takeoff was accused of “sexual battery, assault, false imprisonment, gender violence and interference with civil rights” by an anonymous woman in August 2020. In April 2021, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s confirmed they would not be filing criminal charges due to lack of evidence.
Takeoff and Quavo did an interview with Complex in early October discussing the future of Migos just ahead of the pair releasing a duo album without Offset.
“I just feel like we want to see our career as a duo because we just came from a loyal family,” Quavo said. He agreed that family is “supposed to stick together” but circumstances can change.
“Sometimes, when sh** don’t work out, it ain’t meant to be,” the rapper continued. “So that’s what I think.”
Takeoff agreed with that assessment.
“We don’t know all answers,” he told the publication. “God know. So we pray a lot. And we tell him, whatever, whatever ain’t right, however you supposed to see it fit, you put it back together or however you do it. Only time will tell. We always family, now. Ain’t nothing gon’ change.”