A professional skateboarder is expected to face homicide charges after a man he allegedly attacked in an Illinois motel in July died of his injuries. Terry Kennedy, who has ridden with Rob Dyrdek and appeared in several skating video games, was arrested last month and booked on multiple charges, including aggravated battery in a public place and threatening a public official. Now, however, it is believed Kennedy will face charges of manslaughter or murder after his victim, 23-year-old Josiah Kassahun, passed away on Saturday.
Kassahun’s death was confirmed by the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office and first reported on by TMZ. Kassahun was left with a fractured skull and a concussion following the alleged attack at an Oakbrook Terrace motel on Tuesday, July 27. According to the outlet, it remains unclear that prompted the assault, though social media posts indicate that Kassahun and Kennedy had been friends. Kennedy was arrested shortly after the attack charged with aggravated battery in a public place and threatening a public official. He allegedly told arresting police officers, “I will kill one of you police. We kill police where I’m from.”
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According to the Daily Mail, Kennedy, 36, is a prominent figure in the the skating world. Along with having appeared in numerous video games, including the video game franchise and music videos for Snoop Dog and Mistah Fab, he also appeared in various MTV shows together with Bam Margera and Dyrdek. He remains behind bars amid Kassahun’s death. During a hearing last week, his bail was set at $100,000. Following Kassahun’s passing, TMZ reported that prosecutors are now considering adding a manslaughter or murder charge. The outlet reached out to the DuPage State’s Attorney’s Office for clarification but did not receive a response as of this posting. It also does not appear that Kennedy has addressed his arrest.
A GoFundMe page has been created help support Kassahun’s family following his death. The page, which has raised more than $17,000 is raising funds to help with expenses related to hospitalization, funeral costs, and future memorials and asks “that you help by donating to ease financial burden the family is experiencing as well as to create a memorial for him.” The page remembers the 23-year-old as “the perfect friend to everyone who had the good fortune of meeting him. He was loved and had much love to give and he will be dearly missed by an infinite number of people.”
