Rapper Takeoff of the rap trio Migos was shot and killed outside a Houston pool hall and bowling alley Tuesday morning. He was 28.
Takeoff, whose real name is Kirshnik Khari Ball, and groupmate Quavo, whose real name is Quavious Keyate Marshall, were at the bowling alley allegedly playing dice with another group at about 2:30 a.m. when an altercation broke out and someone opened fire, hitting Takeoff, TMZ reported.
He was pronounced dead at the scene. The media outlet reported that Quavo was not injured.
Two other people, a 23-year-old man and 24-year-old woman, were also injured in the confrontation, police said. They sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were taken in personal vehicles to a local hospital.
No arrests have been announced, but at a press conference Tuesday afternoon, Houston Police Chief Troy Finner confirmed that at least two guns were believed to be used.
“We do have at least two individuals pulling triggers around here. We’re going to get them in custody, OK?,” Finner said.
Police asked anyone who fled the scene, especially those with videos, to contact investigators.
“We need all y’all to send those to us so we can solve this case. We are looking for anything to help us,” said Sgt. Michael Arrington.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner added that “people know” who opened fire at the party, and he reiterated that they should provide that information to authorities.
“Let us solve this situation. Let us bring justice to this family,” Turner said.
Finner also addressed the “human element,” especially the loss suffered by Takeoff’s mother and other friends and family members, and said he hopes Takeoff’s death can be a catalyst to bring about a reduction in violence.
“I’m calling upon everybody, hip-hop artists in Houston and around the nation. We’ve got to police ourselves. There are so many talented individuals to stand together and make sure nobody tears down this industry,” Finner said.
Takeoff was the youngest member of Migos, the rap trio from suburban Atlanta that also featured his uncle Quavo and cousin Offset, whose real name is Kiari Kendrell Cephus. 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, though Takeoff was not on their multi-week No. 1 “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.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.