‘Please step up’ Houston police, mayor ask for public’s help to find rapper TakeOff’s killer

HPD said TakeOff and Quavo of the Atlanta-based rap trio were at a private party at the 810 Billiards and Bowling Alley prior to the deadly shooting.

HOUSTON — Migos rapper TakeOff died after he was shot outside of a bowling alley in downtown Houston early Tuesday, a representative confirmed to the Associated Press.

Kirsnick Khari Ball, known as TakeOff, was part of Migos along with Quavo and Offset. A representative for members of Migos, who was not authorized to speak publicly, confirmed the death to The Associated Press.

The Houston Police Department said they will be holding a press conference on the investigation into the shooting death of Migos rapper TakeOff at 3 p.m. Stream it live in the player above, on our YouTube channel, and on KHOU 11+ on Roku and FireTV

The Houston Police Department said TakeOff and Quavo of the Atlanta-based rap trio were at a private party at the 810 Billiards and Bowling Alley prior to the deadly shooting.

Investigators with Houston police said they will not release the victim’s identity until family members are notified and the identity is verified by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.

However, investigators said the victim was a Black man in his late 20s.

No arrests have been announced in the deadly shooting yet.

RELATED: Who was TakeOff? The rise of Migos

RELATED: Fans, hip-hop community reacts to death of Migos’ TakeOff

This happened at about 2:35 a.m. on a balcony outside of the bowling alley, which is on the third floor of a building on San Jacinto Street and Dallas Street. The complex also includes restaurants, a House of Blues and is near the Four Seasons hotel.

Police said the party ended at 1 a.m. but it carried over to 2 a.m. A group of about 40 people had gathered outside of the bar on the third floor after it had closed when someone started shooting. There were security guards in the area who heard the shots but they did not see who opened fire.

Once the shooting started, people from the crowd ran from the scene. Police said the victim was shot in the head or neck.

Two other victims were taken in private vehicles to hospitals, police said. Their identities have also not been released.

Homicide investigators are on the scene. Anyone with information on what happened is encouraged to call HPD’s Homicide Division.

Who was Migos rapper TakeOff?

TakeOff was the youngest member of Migos, the rap trio from suburban Atlanta that also featured his uncle Quavo and cousin Offset. They first broke through with the massive hit “Versace” in 2013. The song was remixed by Drake, heightening its popularity.

The group had four Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including one of their most successful songs “Bad and Boujee,” featuring Lil Uzi Vert. They put out a trilogy of albums called “Culture,” “Culture II” and “Culture III,” with the first two albums hitting No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart. They also earned an ASCAP Vanguard Award in 2018, for their streaming success with multiplatinum songs like “Motorsport (featuring Cardi B and Nicki Minaj),” “Stir Fry,” and “Walk It Talk It.”

The trio also played a fictional version of themselves on an episode of the hit TV show “Atlanta,” but the group wasn’t currently together.

Offset, who is married to Cardi B, released a solo album in 2019, while TakeOff and Quavo released a joint album “Only Built for Infinity Links” last month.

Fans mourn TakeOff

Isaiah Lopez, 24, said he rushed down from his home in Humble after hearing TakeOff had been killed.

“He was one of our favorites, mine and my brother’s. It’s all we would listen to,” Lopez said as he carried a dozen roses he hoped to place near the site of the shooting. “As soon as my brother called me and said, ‘TakeOff is gone,’ I had to come over here and pay my respects.”

Thomas Moreno, 30, who lives about five minutes away from the site of the shooting, said he had met TakeOff at an event at a Houston bar and restaurant in June and said he was “a real nice guy.”

“I feel it’s just another good person gone too soon,” Moreno said. “This happens every day but it hurts, even more, when it’s somebody so talented and so young.”

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