Rapper Young Dolph was shot and killed while visiting a bakery in his hometown in Memphis, Tennessee, on Wednesday morning. He was 36.
A representative confirmed the news in a statement to Variety.
"All of us at APA are shocked and deeply saddened by the sudden and tragic loss of our dear friend and client, Young Dolph," the statement read. "The world has lost an icon, a great man and beloved artist who has been taken too soon. His dedication, drive, hard work and loyalty to all those around him always came first and he will be deeply missed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family at this most difficult time."
The shooting took place outside Makeda’s Butter Cookies, FOX News 13 reported. Maurice Hill, the owner of the shop, told the outlet that Dolph, whose real name was Adolph Robert Thornton, Jr., had visited the South Memphis bakery to buy cookies when someone drove up and shot and killed him.
A man in the immediate area across from the crime scene told Fox News that he heard about 25 shots fired in rapid succession ring at the strip mall where the bakery is located. There was then a pause, then he claimed to have heard about five or 10 more shots.
"He pulled his Lamborghini up to the shop and they got him, man. They got him," the local man said.
In a statement posted on Twitter, the Memphis Police Department called the incident "another example of the senseless gun violence we are experiencing locally and nationwide."
"Our hearts go out to the Thornton family and all who are affected by this horrific act of violence," the statement read.
Dolph, who is well known in the Memphis community both as an independent performer and local philanthropist, was previously shot during an altercation in Los Angeles in September 2017. Several months prior, Dolph was traveling in an SUV in Charlotte, North Carolina, when the vehicle came under fire. Three people were arrested in May in connection with the shooting.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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