An up-and-coming Ohio rapper is dead following a fatal shooting at a Cleveland apartment building. Carlos Banks, better known by his stage name KashBankx, was fatally shot in the early morning hours of Sunday, Dec. 29, just two days ahead of the release of his new album, and no suspects have been arrested in connection to his murder at this time.
Cleveland police said officers were called to an apartment complex in Slavic Village at around 3:45 a.m. local time after someone reported hearing gunshots, cleveland.com and News 5 Cleveland reported. When officers arrived at the scene, they found Banks, 28, on the ground in a third-floor apartment “suffering from numerous gunshot wounds to the head, chest, and right abdomen.” He was pronounced dead at the scene by Cleveland EMS at 4:04 a.m.
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Further details of the incident, including possible suspects and why Banks was discovered in an apartment different from his own, are not available at this time. Cleveland Police Spokesperson Sgt. Wilfredo Diaz said, “Homicide is actively working this case with the goal to make an arrest as soon as possible. To protect the integrity of the investigation, no further information is available for release.”
Diaz added, per WOIO, that they are looking into various theories that have been circulating online, stating, “The community is obviously in tune to it and safety is everyone’s responsibility. So we ask that the community come forward if you have any information.”
Banks was an up-and-coming rapper who amassed hundreds of thousands of social media followers. He was set to release new music on Jan. 1, and had been promoting The BIGGEST Shark MIXTAPE on Instagram.
Community journalist Jaylyn King, who interviewed Banks on numerous occasions, said the musician “was probably one of the top 10 artists out here.” King said he “just made a post: ‘Who is the hottest artist in Cleveland?’ And his name just would not stop popping up.”
“I know that justice takes a process and I know that justice will come,” he added.
Many fans have also paid tribute to Banks, one person writing amid the release of The BIGGEST Shark MIXTAPE, “so much work was being put in behind the scenes 2025 was gone be big.” Somebody else said, “long live kash bankxxxx.”
Police have not released further updates regarding the investigation into Banks’ murder at this time.
