Rapper J $tash allegedly shot and killed a woman in front of her three children on Saturday before he took his own life. Authorities were called to a home in Temple City, California around 7:14 a.m. on Saturday for reported domestic violence, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said. When police arrived they found two adults dead at the scene.
Police believe the shooting was a murder-suicide based on “evidence at the scene and the preliminary information we have from the children,” Lt. Derrick Alfred told KTLA. The suspect was identified as 28-year-old J $tash, whose legal name is Justin Joseph, a sheriff’s department spokesperson told PEOPLE. The identity of the 27-year-old woman was not released.
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The woman’s three children, whose ages range from 5 to 11, were not hurt. They were taken from the home after deputies arrived, the sheriff’s department said. One of the children placed the 911 call, Alfred told the Associated Press. It is not clear if the woman was shot before or after the child called 911. Joseph was not related to the children, but was the woman’s boyfriend for about a year, Alfred said. Once authorities arrived, the children ran out of the home to meet the deputies.
Deputies found a legally registered gun at the home when they arrived, the Orange County Register reports. “So far it does not look like the man had a criminal record,” Alfred said. “It’s a very tragic situation.” The investigation into the incident is ongoing and further details were not immediately available.
Joseph released three albums in 2019, according to his Spotify page. One of his songs, “Guerillas,” has over 1 million streams. He released a handful of songs in 2021, including “Allow It,” “I’m Not a Star” and “Cabo.”
If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741-741.
