Police allege rapper Lil Tjay instigated fight leading to Offset shooting at Florida casino
Police have alleged that American rapper Lil Tjay played a role in sparking the altercation that led to the shooting of Offset, a member of the popular hip-hop group Migos.
Preliminary reports from law enforcement claimed that Lil Tjay (real name: Tione Merritt) ‘directed members of his party to start a fight with another group of males around 7:22 p.m. on Monday night.
According to Mail Online, police allege that one of the men in Lil Tjay’s group pulled out a gun and shot Offset in the valet area of the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida.
Lil Tjay’s attorney, Dawn Florio, previously denied the ‘false rumors that Lil Tjay was involved in a sho0ting’ in a statement on Tuesday.
‘Lil Tjay has not been shot,’ she said, referencing rumors that had spread online shortly after Offset was reported to have been shot, ‘nor has Lil Tjay been charged with any shooting. Any reporting to the contrary is false,’ she said.
In a statement, the Seminole Police Department said Lil Tjay had been arrested on a disorderly conduct — affray charge, which is a first-degree misdemeanor, and booked at the Broward County Sheriff’s Office.
‘A second person detained at the scene has not been charged,’ police said, noting that ‘The investigation to identify one or more additional persons involved in the incident is ongoing.’
Referring to Offset, police added that ‘The injured individual remains at Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, Fla., with a non-life-threatening injury.’
After he was bailed out on Tuesday, Lil Tjay denied being involved in the alleged fight.
‘I didn’t do no damn fighting,’ he said, while also calling Offset a ‘rat n****’ to a group of reporters before getting into an SUV, according to NBC 6 Miami.
According to the probable cause affidavit, police claimed that Lil Tjay fought with Offset’s associates after he had been shot.
‘Sworn statements were taken from the victims who stated that they were caring for their wounded friend [Offset], when the defendant [Lil Tjay] approached them in an aggressive manner with fists clenched and taking swings at them,’ it said.
It was only when police arrived that the fight allegedly stopped, the report said.
‘Due to the actions of the defendant’s involvement in a fight in a public place, the defendant caused terror among the public that caused injury to another person and placed other patrons in imminent danger,’ the document said.
Police also claimed that Lil Tjay was seen on camera filming the confrontation on his cell phone before Offset was shot.
