Police Are Still Investigating If Pop Smoke’s Cause of Death Was a Targeted Hit or Robbery

The LAPD is currently combing through video surveillance of the Hollywood Hills neighborhood the shooting took place in.

Brooklyn rapper Pop Smoke’s death is currently still being investigated for a motive. A New York Times report points out that no arrests have been made in relation to Pop Smoke’s murder. Police are currently trying to rule out if the murder was a targeted crime or a random robbery. 

Following the news that emerged of the rapper’s death, TMZ reported that it was a “targeted hit.” According to Capt. Johnathan L. Tippet, conflicting evidence is making it difficult to determine exactly why he was killed. 

In the report, it’s made clear that in the weeks leading up to his murder, Pop Smoke posted pictures on Instagram of him flashing large amounts of money. The day before his untimely death, he shared a photo of a gift bag he had received, the image featured the address of the Hollywood Hills home he was staying at. Police are exploring the fact that this could have led to the shooting. 

“It’s an angle we’re looking at,” Capt. Tippet shared in regards to the Instagram posts. “It also extends the pool of people that would have known where he was at and could have targeted him for a variety of reasons.”

During the time of the incident, police say Smoke was alone in one section of the home while other people were in the house. Smoke was the only individual shot. Captain Tippet noted that some items were taken and that there were some “standard signs of robbery” which were missing. The alleged robbers did not clear out the home looking for valuables, this would have been common since they would have done so while searching for Smoke. 

“There were a couple of items that were taken, but some of the things you would think would be taken weren’t even really looked for,” Tippet said. “So that’s why we’re not really saying that it was a robbery or that he was the intended target.”

Tippet also shared that the LAPD was aware of Pop Smoke’s gang affiliations and criminal background. He also noted that there was no indication that a rival gang from the East Coast traveled to Los Angeles to specifically target the rapper. Since the shooting took place in an affluent neighborhood, many of the homes have cameras. The police department is currently combing through video surveillance for any leads.

Pop Smoke’s family released the following statement on Thursday morning touching on the rapper’s recent death:

“The family of Bashar ‘Pop Smoke’ Jackson would like to express our sincere gratitude to everyone for your support. Every prayer, call, and act of kindness is deeply appreciated as we mourn the loss of our son, brother and friend. Brooklyn knew him as Bashar. He was educated and nurtured in Brooklyn and his rise to fame all developed from the place he proudly represented. Within the last year, his extraordinary giftedness was revealed to the world, introducing Pop Smoke. Unfortunately, there are no public details available regarding the murder of our loved one. We ask for respect and responsible reporting during this critical time. Inaccurate reports only add unnecessary pain to a grieving family.”

Source: New York Times