Crime
A$AP Rocky Assault Trial Begins in Los Angeles: Rapper Accused of Firing Gun at Former Friend
A$AP Rocky's assault trial in Los Angeles involves allegations of firing a gun at a former friend near a Hollywood hotel. The rapper faces up to 24 years in prison if convicted.
6 min read
Originally published by nationnews.com (opens in new tab)
A$AP Rocky’s assault trial began on Friday in Los Angeles, where the rapper is accused of firing a gun at a former friend.
The rapper, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, faces up to 24 years in prison if convicted on two felony assault charges in the 2021 incident near a Hollywood hotel.
In opening statements on Friday, prosecutors described the rapper as the aggressor and claimed he orchestrated a plan to shoot his childhood friend following a disagreement.
The Grammy-nominated hip-hop star, who is also a fashion mogul and the longtime partner of singer Rihanna, has pleaded not guilty and denied the allegations.
The victim, fellow artist and childhood friend Terell Ephron, testified last year that bullets grazed his knuckles when the rapper opened fire in his direction in Hollywood, just one block from the iconic Hollywood Walk of Fame. He said he decided to seek medical treatment at a hospital after flying back to New York.
Authorities say the shooting happened on 6 November in 2021 after a “heated discussion” in Hollywood between the rapper and Terell Ephron, who were both part of the A$AP Mob hip-hop collective and have known one another since their time together at a New York high school.
A jury of seven women and five men was selected over the course of three days this week before the opening arguments kicked off on Friday.
Mr Mayers, attending the trial in a grey suit, was joined by some members of his family on Friday, but notably absent was singer Rihanna, who he shares two children with. It’s unclear whether she might appear at the trial, but the rapper’s attorney told the court this week that Mr Mayers has tried to keep his family away from all of this.
Deputy District Attorney Paul Przelomiec opened the trial on Friday with a detailed presentation of video evidence, describing the case against the rapper as straightforward. “What will become almost instantly clear is that this is not a complicated case,” he told the jury.
Mr Mayers, along with two friends and Mr Ephron, met up to talk after they had a disagreement the night before. But the meeting turned violent.
The first video, which was partially obscured, showed a confrontation between two men, with two others stepping in to intervene. One man, identified as Mr Mayers, is seen pulling a gun but not firing. Additional footage from later that night captures two gunshots during a scuffle involving the same group.
“If you brought a gun, then you should shoot,” Mr Ephron reportedly told Mr Mayers, according to Przelomiec. Moments later, Mr Mayers is accused of opening fire, allegedly grazing Ephron’s knuckle.
