XXXTentacion’s alleged murderer is said to be in police custody.
According to TMZ, the suspect is 22-year-old Dedrick D. Williams, who Broward County Sheriff’s department have now taken into custody.
A vigil was held for XXXTentacion, real name Jahseh Dwayne Onfroy, on Wednesday (June 20), in South Florida.
During the vigil, the rapper’s mother told friends and family she’d received notice from the police they’d made the arrest:
In a video from the vigil, posted on Instagram by Streetwatcherz, a women, who’s apparently Onfroy’s mother, can be heard saying:
I just got the text just now, from one of the detectives […] they just arrested them, they got them.
Onfroy was shot as he was leaving a motorcycle shop in South Florida. As he was leaving the dealership, it’s reported an unidentified gunman, now beleived to be Williams, approached his vehicle and shot him.
Williams is, allegedly, also in violation of his probation for a previous grand theft charge, and is being held without bail.
According to police, Williams was taken into custody on Wednesday, June 20, shortly before 7pm in Pompano Beach, Florida.
Following the incident, the Broward County Fire Department said the rapper was rushed to hospital. Other witnesses, who were at the scene, claim to have heard multiple shots fired.
Dispatch audio initially claimed the incident was a ‘possible drive-by shooting and the alleged shooters exited the scene in a black Dodge Journey’. However, the car was later confirmed to be a black Dodge Journey, with dark tint and black wheels.
According to the dispatch call, the suspects were described as two black males in hoodies, with the shooter wearing a red mask.
It’s currently unclear whether a second suspect is being pursued following Williams’ arrest.
Prior to his death, XXXTentacion – who’s had a string of hits, despite being in the early stages of his career – was facing a litany of felony charges, including witness tampering.
In December, the Florida rapper was charged with 15 felony counts in connection to a 2016 domestic abuse case. He was also facing trial for domestic violence against his pregnant girlfriend.
Onfroy was under house arrest but the judge recently lifted it so he could go on tour.
In the time since his death, sales of XXXTentacion’s music have risen by over 1,000 per cent.
The day after the shooting, his track SAD! amassed 10.4 million streams, according to Pitchfork, beating the global record for the most Spotify streams in a single day – a record previously held by Taylor Swift, which was 10.1 million for ‘Look What You Made Me Do’.
In an Instagram story posted before his death, XXXTentacion said:
If I’m gonna die, or ever be a sacrifice, I want to make sure that my life made at least 5 million kids happy – or they found some sort of answers or resolve in my life. Regardless of the negative around my name.
As news of the rapper’s death spread, musicians took to social media to share their condolences, including Kanye West, Diplo, J. Cole and Blink 182 drummer, Travis Barker.
Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Jahseh Dwayne Onfroy.
Charlie Cocksedge is a journalist and sub-editor at UNILAD. He graduated from the University of Manchester with an MA in Creative Writing, where he learnt how to write in the third person, before getting his NCTJ. His work has also appeared in such places as The Guardian, PN Review and the bin.