It's always hard to hear about young people losing their lives to senseless gun violence. When those crimes are also committed by underage Americans, emotions run even higher. The latest upsetting case to make the news comes out of Atlanta. There, 16-year-old Lil Purk and his co-defendants were sentenced for the murder of two boys – one 12, the other 15 – outside Atlantic Station in November 2022. As 11Alive News reports, four other individuals suffered injuries as a result of the incident. In total, five of the seven who were arrested have entered guilty pleas for violating the city's Street Gang Act.
Purk was taken into custody by the Atlanta Police Department just days after the deadly shooting. For now, the other teens accused of killing the innocent locals remain anonymous. We do know that one was previously apprehended in New York and that they've been described as "shooters." Before landing himself in this career-halting situation, Purk was growing a following thanks to his rhyming skills. "Walkem Down" went viral online, bringing in upwards of one million streams on Spotify. His debut project, Before The Fame, hit DSPs last year, only helping to grow his audience.
Lil Purk Sentencing Puts Him Behind Bars For Two Decades
"To all my family and fans I would like to sincerely apologize to y’all and to all the younger generation looking up to me," he wrote in a statement on Instagram addressing his sentencing. "Let me and my situation be a lesson learned for our whole generation. Everything not what it seem and I’m still pleading my innocence. I love you lil hot and to the families hurt by this situation forgive me also still keeping faith alive 43va."
Elsewhere in the world of crime and hip-hop, a recent delay in the YSL RICO trial is pushing Young Thug's attorney to fight for a motion to dismiss the long-spanning case against his client. The So Much Fun rapper has been in jail for over a year and a half awaiting his fate now, with no end in sight at this time. Read the latest updates from Fulton County at the link below, and check back later for more hip-hop/pop culture news updates.