Takeoff, a member of rap trio Migos, was shot and killed in Houston early Tuesday. He was 28.
Houston Police Department Homicide Division Sergeant Michael Arrington said at a press conference that officers responded to 810 Billiards & Bowling shortly after 2:34 a.m. and found Takeoff – whose real name was Kirshnik Khari Ball – deceased. Earlier, police said he had been shot in the head or neck.
Shots had been fired during an argument as people were leaving a private party at the facility.
In graphic video clips shared on social media, Takeoff's uncle and Migos partner Quavo – who was not injured – is seen desperately trying to help Takeoff. (The third member of Migos, Offset, is Takeoff's cousin.)
Arrington said a 23-year-old male and a 24-year-old female went to hospital on their own with non-life threatening wounds. "A lot of people there fled the scene and did not stick around to give a statement," he said.
Police urged witnesses to come forward. "Somebody knows exactly who it was," said Chief Troy Finner, who added that he is committed to finding those responsible. "Mark my word. We will find who’s responsible for it ... We're going to get justice for this family."
Takeoff’s last Instagram Story, posted only moments before his death, is backed by Playboi Carti’s 2020 track “Stop Breathing.”
A photo Takeoff shared in an Instagram Story moments before his death. Instagram / yrntakeoff
"This s**t has to STOP," tweeted rapper Ja Rule, referring to violence that has claimed the lives of more than a dozen hip hop artists since 2019, including Nipsey Hussle, Pop Smoke, Drakeo the Ruler and PnB Rock. In June, rapper Trouble was shot to death.
"We have a lot of work to do in transforming the culture of violence into a culture of community awareness and care." - Bernice King, Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change
Takeoff, whose real name is Kirshnik Khari Ball, began rapping with Quavo and Offset in 2008. In addition to four studio albums with Migos, he released the solo album The Last Rocket in 2018 as well as the EP Culture III (Takeoff’s Way) last year. He also had collaborations with artists like Lil Wayne, Pop Smoke, DJ Khaled and Roddy Ricch.
Early last month, Quavo and Takeoff released the collaborative album Only Built for Infinity Links. A video for the single "Messy" debuted only hours before the shooting.
On his Twitter profile, the rapper described himself as “The Grammy Nominated Some Say Underrated & Most Definitely Hated 1/3 Of The Greatest Group In The World.” (With Migos, he was nominated for Best Rap performance and Best Rap Album in 2017.)
On social media, fans and famous friends of Takeoff are expressing their shock and grief and paying tribute to the rapper.