Offset shooting: Rapper Cardi B’s former partner, Offset or Kiari Kendrell Cephus, was shot in a popular casino in Florida in the early hours of Tuesday, April 6. Hours after the incident, it was revealed that the Dubai-based rapper Lil Tjay was arrested in connection with the gun-based attack.
As per visuals that later surfaced online, several police officials had arrived near the Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood Casino valet. Officers were seen detaining two individuals reportedly involved in a suspected altercation with Offset.
Was Lil Tjay involved in Offset shooting?
According to Rolling Stone, Lil Tjay or Tione Jayden Merritt, was arrested outside the popular casino and taken to the Seminole Police Department. However, the affluent rapper has been charged with disorderly conduct, which is classified as a first-degree misdemeanour in Florida.
Several speculations and rumours led netizens to believe that Lil Tjay was involved in the shooting, too. While he was not found in possession of a weapon or charged with such an offence, Merritt (Lil Tjay) is being held on a $500 bond related to disorderly misconduct and a separate traffic violation, which carries a $2500 bond.
The Seminole Police Department statement, according to the Rolling Stone report, revealed that the authorities suspect Tjay’s direct involvement in Offset’s shooting on April 6, given their history of disagreement over an alleged gambling debt.
Lil Tjay’s official statement
Lil Tjay’s lawyer, Dawn M Florio, was quick to release an official statement upon his client’s arrest. Denying all claims, he called out the misinformation circulating online, about the reportedly false accusations on Lil Tjay of going so far as shooting Offset himself.
“We are issuing this release in regards to false rumours that Lil Tjay was involved in a shooting which occurred at the Valet Area of the Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood, which resulted in non-life threatening injuries to Offset, formerly a member of Migos [sic],” Florio wrote in the statement.
“Lil Tjay has not been shot, nor has Lil Tjay been charged with any shooting. Any reporting to the contrary is false,” Florio continued. “We encourage people to consult trusted news sources, and to verify the accuracy of any reporting,” the statement added.
Currently, Offset remains under the care of Memorial Regional Hospital and is being closely monitored. While his injuries have been limited and non-life-threatening, fans and peers have shared messages in his support, wishing him a speedy recovery. There has been no official statement from Cardi B, the mother of three of his children.