A grand jury has indicted the man accused of killing Migos rapper Takeoff on a murder charge, according to the district attorney in Harris County, Texas.
The 28-year-old recording artist, whose real name was Kirsnick Khari Ball, was killed Nov. 1, 2022 when shots were fired outside a Houston bowling alley. Ball was an innocent bystander, police said. A month later, Patrick Xavier Clark, 33, was arrested and charged in the case.
“I spoke to Takeoff’s mother early this morning, and my prayers — and I ask that all of our prayers — continue to go out to her and his entire family, his close friends, the city of Atlanta, and all of Takeoff’s fans around the world,” Houston police Chief Troy Finner said at a press conference in December. “We lost a good man.”
In January, Clark was released from a Texas jail after posting $1 million bond, according to court documents. He must wear an ankle monitor under his bond conditions, court documents state. He must also remain in his parents’ Houston home and have no contact with Takeoff’s family.
Clark’s attorney, Letitia Quinones-Hollins, released a statement to Texas media outlets on Thursday.
“Today’s action by the grand jury is not unexpected,” Quinones-Hollins said. “We would ask people to remember that getting an indictment requires meeting a very, very minimal standard of proof. When we get inside a courtroom and in front of a jury, where we will be able to put on our evidence and cross-examine the state’s witnesses – where the standard of proof is guilt beyond reasonable doubt – we expect the jury will come back with a verdict of not guilty.”
Atlanta-based Migos first broke through in 2013 with the massive hit “Versace” and followed with four top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. The group released four albums, including “Yung Rich Nation,” “Culture,” “Culture II” and “Culture III.”
The Grammy-nominated trio, which hailed from Lawrenceville, was signed to the Atlanta-based label Quality Control Music. Takeoff, the youngest Migo, was widely considered the primary architect of that flow and for being the group’s best rapper. In 2018, Takeoff dropped his only solo album, “The Last Rocket.”
After Takeoff’s death, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said hip-hop music isn’t to blame for the violence in cities around the U.S., but there are too many guns in the wrong hands.
“I do not believe that hip-hop equals violence. I grew up on the music. I’m still into the music,” Dickens said in an Instagram post. “Guns plus people being mad equals bad outcomes.”
Memorial services for Takeoff were held at Atlanta’s State Farm Arena. Artists like Drake, City Girls, Chloe Bailey and Justin Bieber were among the performers and attendees. Atlanta residents were also able to attend. Fans wrapped around the venue to pay their respects.
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