A tragic shooting in Atlanta killed a 14-year-old close friend of the city’s 10-year-old popular rapper Lil RT. Shooting on Tuesday evening near Morehouse College puts a light on the gang violence and respective cultures among young rappers. According to the Atlanta Police Department, the victim was killed in a chaotic scene, and there were multiple people carrying weapons. Another teen, 18-year-old Raquavious Ferguson, was also killed in that incident. At the same time, PCF Kari, older brother of Lil RT, is still in critical condition after he was shot during the exchange of gunfire.
The shooting erupted in Southwest Atlanta, heavy police response and several bystanders in shock watched. One witness described a terrifying scene, with rapid gunfire forcing people-children included-to take immediate cover. Police have since taken a person into custody; however, neither the suspect’s identity nor their link to the victims has been revealed. Because the menaces inside the neighborhood originating from groups appear to be at the base of this violence, authorities suspect gang affiliations. The police asked the public to help bring clarity to the incident.
Further confusion in this already tense situation came from false rumors on social media that PCF Kari had died. It was Kari’s mother who used social media to put up messages noting the falsehood of such rumors, stating that though her son is gravely injured, he still lives. The rapid spread of this misinformation has fueled criticism of social media’s impact on such situations, with some community members highlighting how the fake news harms families dealing with trauma.
One of the angles that the police in Atlanta are pursuing is gang activity. For several years, law enforcement has expressed concerns about how young people, whether members of rap groups or participants in drill music are often initiated into gang culture that promotes violent disputes. The shooting has underlined the broader problem of juveniles and gang violence, as many parents, activists, and community leaders demanded additional programs for youth intervention.
Young rapper Lil RT, who was involved in the sad incident, is very popular on social media, with more than 423,000 followers on Instagram. Despite being too tender, Lil RT attained attention and raised much controversy concerning his lyrics, which some critics claimed were too mature for a child.
His big brother, PCF Kari, has consistently been featured in these posts; last year a video of the siblings became a viral sensation showing the couple of brothers engaging in adult activities-smoking and handling weapons. The video was reportedly put online by Lil Tony, another young rapper from the area; he faced his own set of legal troubles and was under house arrest last year.
Drill music is controversially viewed for ongoing debates over its impact on youth violence, with frequent lyrical accounts of a brutal street life. This genre of music has made both critical and ardent hip-hop fans question the place it reserves in normalizing such precarious activities for a growing young audience. The community members say that while at some point one may argue that drill music is a form of expression, it does, to some degree, glorify gang life and assault weapons, indirectly pushing impressionable teens to act out violent scenes from music videos in real life.
In the wake of the incident, the Atlanta Police Department urged the community for assistance. They reiterated that tips from the community sometimes hold the missing links in understanding and preventing tragedies like this one.
