Last month, DMV rising star Goonew was shot and killed during what many allege to have been an armed robbery gone bad. Amongst the many tributes that have surfaced following his unfortunate passing, WUSA9 spoke to his family, who are in absolute disbelief over what transpired:

“It’s not real for them. That someone would shoot her son and their brother in the back. One shot that would ultimately kill Markelle Morrow, better known as GOONEW.”

This past weekend, fans converged upon the D.C. nightclub Bliss to celebrate Goonew’s life, during which all who attended got a pretty big surprise — the body of the rapper himself, propped up against a wall while Go-Go music played throughout.

According to TMZ, reactions to the aforementioned sight were fairly mixed, with many choosing to keep the proverbial party going while a well-dressed, crowned, and fully embalmed Goonew loomed over the crowd. Also noted is the fact that Bliss’ management weren’t aware that all this was even taking place, as explained via a social media post:

“Our deepest condolences to Goonew’s family, friends, and fans. Bliss was contacted by a local funeral home to rent out our venue for Goonew’s home-going celebration. Bliss was never made aware of what would transpire. We sincerely apologize to all those who may be upset or offended. Please keep Goonew’s family and friends in your prayers at this difficult time.”

Almost a year from today, Goonew liberated his last full-length body of work Short Temper, which consisted of 15 songs and additional contributions from Seddy Hendrinx, Xanman, and frequent collaborator Lil Dude. More recently, Goonew’s team unveiled a new visual for the posthumous drop “Back Inna Mix,” which sees production from Static 6ix and direction from Hidden Images.

You can see footage of his memorial service at Bliss below.