MIAMI, Fla. — An Atlanta rapper is recovering after police said he was shot during an armed robbery over the weekend in South Florida, according to a report from Action News Jax’s Atlanta station, WSB-TV.
Miami police said the victim, who goes by the stage name Lil Deko, was shopping Saturday afternoon at a Supreme clothing store in the city’s Design District when he was confronted by several people he knew from Atlanta, WSB’s report states.
Investigators said an argument broke out inside the store before one suspect walked up behind the rapper and ripped a gold chain valued at $22,000 from his neck.
Police identified that suspect as Jamar McKay, 25. Authorities said Lil Deko chased McKay out of the store, where another unidentified suspect ran up and shot him once in the stomach.
A witness recorded cellphone video showing paramedics loading the injured rapper into an ambulance. He was taken to a local hospital, where he remains hospitalized but is expected to recover.
Court records show a judge noted the individuals involved are from Atlanta and have a history of conflicts with one another. Investigators are still working to determine whether an ongoing dispute may have contributed to the shooting.
Miami police said officers and the city’s SWAT team later located multiple suspects hiding inside a home near the crime scene. McKay, along with Omarion Phillips, 20, and Kevieon Smith, 21, were taken into custody.
Authorities say Phillips and Smith were each charged with accessory after the fact. Smith also faces a charge of possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon. McKay was charged with armed robbery with a firearm or deadly weapon and resisting an officer without violence.
During the search, investigators recovered the stolen gold chain.
Police have not identified or arrested the suspected shooter and said the investigation remains ongoing.
WSB-TV reached out to Lil Deko through social media. He confirmed he is recovering but declined to comment further or speak on camera.
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