Grammy-nominated rapper DaBaby was detained for questioning in a shooting that wounded two people in Miami and later released, officials said Tuesday. Police said two suspects are now charged in the case.
Jonathan Kirk, DaBaby’s legal name, was one of many people being questioned by officials on Tuesday, Miami Beach police spokesman Ernesto Rodriguez said in a news release. Rodriguez had said earlier that “several possible suspects” were detained. He later noted that Kirk had been let go.
According to arrest reports, Wisdom Awute, 21, and Christopher Urena, 29, both face charges of attempted first-degree murder with a deadly weapon and aggravated assault. Urena also faces charges of grand theft and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
The shooting wrapped up a violent Memorial Day weekend in the Miami area.
Police received multiple 911 calls reporting the shooting just after 11.30pm on Monday. Officers found one person struck in the shoulder and another in the leg. Both were taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital. Police have not released the identities of those wounded. One was treated at a hospital and released, while the second remains in the hospital in critical condition.
The shooting took place on Ocean Drive, a popular strip of restaurants and hotels in South Beach. During the investigation, the heavily travelled MacArthur Causeway nearby was shut down in both directions.
DaBaby, 29, was arrested earlier this year in Los Angeles. Beverly Hills police said he took a loaded gun into an upscale store on Rodeo Drive.
The North Carolina rapper’s song ‘Rockstar’ was one of the biggest hits of 2020, and was nominated for a Grammy Award for record of the year. No one responded immediately to an email sent to DaBaby’s representatives seeking comment. A man who answered the phone at the label company representing him said, “No comment.”
