La’Darion Chandler, an aspiring rapper from Lakeland, Florida, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder for a fatal shooting in December 2022. Chandler allegedly shot John McGee, 33, in December 2022, and the victim died weeks later. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd called Chandler a “stupid rapper” for making a video bragging about killing a rival gang member.
Chandler is being held without bond, reports CBS12. He was charged with first-degree murder, convicted delinquent possession of a firearm, and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Chandler has seven prior felony arrests and five misdemeanor arrests, the sheriff’s office said. “He’s not much of a rapper, but he’s a stupid rapper,” Judd said at a press conference.
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McGee was “mean mugging” other gang members when he was shot in the back on Dec. 17, investigators said. The victim refused to take medicine at the hospital and would not cooperate. Investigators believe McGee wanted revenge for the shooting, but he died of his injuries in the hospital 24 days after the shooting, Judd said.
The shooting happened 32 days after Chandler finished a 12-month sentence at a juvenile facility, Judd said. The sheriff added that his office had trouble investigating the shooting because no one involved wanted to cooperate. The breakthrough came a few weeks after the shooting when Chandler was arrested for pulling out a gun near the scene of the December shooting. “Fortunately, he didn’t kill the guy,” Judd said. When he was arrested, Chandler “started crying like a baby that lost his pacifier,” Judd said.
Chandler was arrested on Feb. 22. Detectives obtained a search warrant for his apartment and found ammunition in a black duffel bag, reports West Orlando News.
During the press conference, Judd played a part of a music video Chandler made in which he allegedly bragged about the shooting. “N— tried to run, I hit his back. Thought I shoot like a Mac. Dirt a— dead n—s knowing where to find me at,” Chandler rapped.
The video was published on Chandler’s social media pages, detectives said, reports West Orlando News. The lyrics referenced the victim being shot in the back, a detail not publicly known. Chandler published other songs about being armed and published photos of himself with weapons. The sheriff’s office is hoping to find the weapon used in the shooting and offered $5,000 for information leading to its recovery.
“Our crime is at a 51-year low, and our violent crime was down last year – shootings like this one don’t represent what’s going on all over Polk County,” Judd said last week. “But there is a problem with very young gangsters shooting at each other – a problem that we aim to solve. The suspects in shootings like this one aren’t even supposed to have guns. We need your help to get illegally owned guns off the streets. Contact Heartland Crime Stoppers – remain anonymous – and get $500.00 in cold hard cash. Anonymity is guaranteed.”
