Rapper King Von killed in Atlanta shooting at age 26

King Von, an up-and-coming rapper on the Chicago music scene, was killed during an officer-involved shooting in Atlanta on Friday that resulted in two other deaths. He was 26.

According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Von, born Dayvon Bennett, was fatally shot after arriving at a hookah lounge with a group of men early Friday morning. "Once there, two men approached the group in the parking lot, and the two groups of men started to argue with each other," the GBI said in a statement. "The argument quickly escalated to gunfire between the two groups."

Both on and off-duty Atlanta Police Department officers responded, with two firing shots. Per the GBI, "six men were shot during the group altercation and officer encounter." Three, including Von, died as a result of their injuries, and three more were injured. No police officers were injured in the shooting.

In a statement, the APD said its officers were not responsible for the rapper's death. "At this time, our investigators believe Mr. Bennett was shot during the initial shootout between the two groups of males, prior to police responding and attempting to stop the shooting," police said. "Additionally, Mr. Bennett was not located at the scene, but arrived at a hospital shortly after the shooting, via private vehicle. The investigation into this incident remains open and very active."

Police and the GBI are conducting separate investigations into the shooting.

Born in Chicago in 1994, Von was a childhood friend of fellow rappers Chief Keef and Lil Durk, the latter becoming a frequent collaborator. Von's debut single, "Crazy Story," was released in 2018, with his debut studio album Grandson, Vol. 1 following the next year. He released two albums in 2020, Levon James and Welcome to O'Block, with the former reaching no. 63 on the Billboard 200 and no. 10 on the Independent Albums chart.

Von's fellow Chicago MC Chance the Rapper paid tribute to him on social media, writing, "Wow. This year was so tough. rip von God bless him and his family I can't believe it."

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