Rapper Chris King Dies in Nashville Shooting

Justin Bieber, Keke Palmer and more paid tribute to the late rapper.

By Allison Schonter

Rapper Chris King has died following a shooting in Nashville that left one other person injured. The musician, who was friends with Justin Bieber, Machine Gun Kelly, and Keke Palmer, was fatally shot while hanging out with a group of friends in downtown Nashville during the early morning hours of April 20, the Nashville Police Department confirmed in a press release. He was 32.

According to the release, the shooting occurred at around 2:30 a.m. CT after King, born Christopher Cheeks, and several others were approached by another group while hanging out "cordially for some time" in an alleyway between Hayes and Church Streets. The second victim, a 29-year-old man who has not been publicly identified by police, told officers that three suspects attempted to rob the group when gunfire erupted. Cheeks and his friends s ran off in separate directions. Cheeks, who was in Nashville to perform at Cannafestival, was located in the parking garage of the Hayes Street Hotel and transported to Vanderbilt, where he later succumbed to his injuries. The 29-year-old victim was found on Church Street and was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center for treatment. His condition is unknown.

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News of King's passing sparked an outpouring of tributes. Bieber, whom King was previously roommates with, wrote on his Instagram Story, "Love you bro," with a broken-heart emoji over a photo of the pair hugging. He added, "This one hurts. Please keep his family in your prayers. See you in paradise, brother." Fellow rapper Trippie Redd also paid tribute, writing on Instagram, "love you until we meet again twin!" I would not be where I am today without [Chris King]... he had the best energy always he had so many friends and it shows I love you guys for supporting one of my best friends ever my brother." In the comments, Machine Gun Kelly replied, "Chris (King) was rare." Palmer also paid her respects, posting a lengthy tribute to social media in which she reflected on their years-long friendship, which began when he was a member of the R&B group 2 Much.

Metro Nashville police have identified 19-year-old Adrian Cameron Jr. as one of the three suspects involved in the shooting, WSMV 4 reported. The teen had been out on bond for the September 2021 murder of Josh Evans at the time of the fatal shooting, with police stating that data from his ankle monitor showed "it was cut off shortly after Saturday's shooting." Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463.

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