A week after a fight outside an Atlanta hookah lounge erupted in gunfire, killing an up-and-coming Chicago rapper and another man, police announced additional arrests have been made in the case.
King Von, whose real name was Dayvon Bennett, was among six people shot Nov. 6 when a brawl outside the Monaco Hookah Lounge turned fatal. A second man, 34-year-old Mark Blakely of Chicago, was also killed, and a third gunshot victim remains hospitalized in critical condition, police said Thursday.
The GBI is investigating the incident as an officer-involved shooting after Atlanta police working in the area attempted to intervene in the shootout. Two of the officers were in uniform working off-duty security jobs at the hookah lounge and a third was on-duty nearby, authorities said.
JOHN SPINK / AJC
JOHN SPINK / AJC
Last Saturday, Atlanta police said 22-year-old Timothy Leeks had been charged with Bennett’s murder, though it’s still unclear who killed Blakely. Leeks was also shot during the exchange of gunfire, authorities said.
He was released from the hospital Nov. 19 and booked into the Fulton County Jail, online records show. He was denied bond at his first appearance hearing two days later.
Two other men, 21-year-old Johnny Harris and 23-year-old Kevin Jones, have been since charged for their alleged roles in the shootout, Atlanta police spokesman Sgt. John Chafee said. Jones faces one count of aggravated assault and Harris is charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, according to police. He also faces a parole violation charge.
Authorities also identified the remaining shooting victims as 28-year-old Bryant Humphrey, 27-year-old Francois Jameson and 19-year-old Saada Mchardy. It’s still unclear which of those victims, if any, were shot by Atlanta police.
A spokeswoman for the GBI said Thursday evening that the case is ongoing and investigators didn’t have any additional details to provide.
King Von had recently released a 16-track album and was set to premiere a music video for his song “Armed & Dangerous” on the day he was killed.
Surveillance footage posted to Twitter last week appeared to show the rapper getting shot during the initial brawl outside the nightclub.
In the video, a large group is seen leaving the club as punches are thrown. The group scatters after one man steps out from behind an SUV and begins firing. One of the victims, presumably Bennett, is then picked up off the pavement, loaded into a car and driven away from the scene.
He was taken to the hospital, where he later died from his injuries, according to police.
“At this time, our investigators believe Mr. Bennett was shot during the initial shootout between the two groups of males, prior to police responding and attempting to stop the shooting,” Atlanta police said previously.
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