Arrest warrant issued in rapper Young Dolph's murder case
Jan 06, 2022
Washington [US], January 6 : An arrest warrant has been issued for a Tennessee man in connection with the fatal shooting of rapper Young Dolph, who was gunned down in a daylight ambush, authorities have said.
According to Fox News, a first-degree murder warrant was issued for 23-year-old Justin Johnson in the November 17 shooting of Dolph, whose real name is Adolph Thornton Jr, the U.S. Marshals Service said in a news release.
The incident had happened at a popular cookie shop in November in his hometown of Memphis.
The Marshals Service and the Memphis Police Department have been searching for suspects in the killing. A USD 15,000 reward has been offered for information leading to an arrest.
The shooting stunned Memphis city and shocked the entertainment world. Police said two men exited a white Mercedes-Benz and fired shots into a Memphis bakery where Dolph was buying cookies and killed him.
Police released photos taken from surveillance video that captured the shooting but investigators have not released any information about a possible motive.
Known for his depictions of tough street life and his independent approach to the music business, Dolph was admired for charitable works in Memphis.
He organized Thanksgiving food giveaways, donated thousands of dollars to high schools, and paid rent and covered funeral costs for people in the Castalia Heights neighborhood where he was raised.
City officials and community activists pointed to the killing as a symbol of the dangers of gun violence in Memphis, where more than 300 homicides were reported last year.
A private funeral was held for Dolph on November 30 and a section of a street in the neighborhood where he grew up was renamed for him on December 15.
He was honored a day later at a public celebration at FedExForum, the home of the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies and the University of Memphis men's basketball team, as per Fox News.