Earlier this week, the music world was stunned by the murder of XXXTentacion, the controversial Florida rapper who was as well-known for his scandalous personal life as he was for his music.
Police reports and shocking video from the scene of XXXTentacion’s murder revealed that the rapper was gunned down in public in broad daylight, but until today, the suspected shooter remained at large.
This morning, the Broward Sheriff’s Office confirmed that 22-year-old Dedrick Devonshay Williams has been brought into custody in connection with the murder.
Police believe Williams is one of two armed suspects who opened fire on XXXTentacion (real name Jahseh Dwayne Onfroy) as he was leaving a motorcycle dealership in Miami.
Lawyers for Onfroy have stated that the murder is believed to be the result of a random robbery attempt gone wrong.
That’s surprising news for many who followed Onfroy’s life closely.
Not only did the rapper engage in frequent acts of violence, he instigated several high-profile feuds with other artists, such as Drake and Migos.
While no one suspected that such A-list names were in any way connected to Onfroy’s murder, his conduct on the public stage was taken by many as an indicator that this was a man who wouldn’t think twice about escalating a situation to the point of violence.
And his rap sheet seemed to support that theory.
Despite his youth, Onfroy had racked up a list of charges ranging from weapons possession to kidnapping and aggravated assault.
At the time of his death, the rapper was on house arrest, but had obtained permission to leave his residence for professional purposes.
Of all the charges leveled at Onfroy, the most shocking had to do with his treatment of his former girlfriend Gevena Ayala.
Onfroy had been accused of beating and torturing Ayala, at one point threatening to violate her with a barbecue fork and frightening her so badly that she lost consciousness.
For obvious reasons, many believed that Onfroy’s murder may have been an act of retaliation.
However, it now looks as though the circumstances of XXXTentacion’s violent death were not directly connected to his violent life.
Police say they are still on the lookout for a second murder suspect and are offering rewards for information that might lead to his capture.
We’ll have further updates on this story as more information becomes available.
