Surveillance footage from outside Pop Smoke’s home appears to suggest that his tragic death was a planned attack, rather than a burglary gone wrong, according to a new report by TMZ. The outlet cites sources who have seen the residential surveillance footage — which has not been made public — and believe the late rapper was a targeted hit.
TMZ reported early on Thursday morning (Feb. 20) that the footage shows four suspects approaching Pop’s Hollywood home around 4:30 a.m. on Wednesday (Feb. 19), before walking toward the back of the house. Three of the four men, whom authorities have described as wearing hoodies and masks, reportedly returned to the home’s front door. The fourth suspect does not appear again on video until he’s seen exiting from the front door, which suggests he broke into the home from a back entrance.
The outlet also reports that multiple shots were fired inside the home, although only Pop was hit. Furthermore, the suspects were not seen carrying any items out of the house, which conflicts with the initial assumption that the break-in was a robbery.
The tragic event is still currently under investigation by local authorities. No arrests have been made yet, nor have any suspects named. One man was reportedly handcuffed by police on Wednesday (Feb. 19) following the incident. However, he was later deemed to be uninvolved and released by authorities.
Pop was tragically pronounced dead at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in West Hollywood later that morning. He was only 20 years old.
The hip hop world continues to mourn the Brooklyn native, as fans, colleagues and friends pay their respects on social media. Pop’s record label, Republic Records, released a statement following his passing on Twitter.
“We are devastated by the unexpected and tragic loss of Pop Smoke,” they wrote on Wednesday (Feb. 19). “Our prayers and thoughts go out to his family, friends and fans, as we mourn this loss together.”
We continue to offer our sincerest condolences to Pop’s family, friends and fans, and all who have been affected by this tragic loss.