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Latauriisha O’Brien, 32, who performs under the name “Half Ounce,” was shot dead on Tuesday, October 4, at around 11.30 pm ET on the 700 block of South New Hampshire Avenue.
As per reports, the LAPD’s Olympic division responded to reports of various shots fired in the area. They discovered the Los Angeles-based rap artist in front of an apartment building with multiple gunshot wounds.
According to reports, authorities believe O’Brien and a friend were walking in the area when a dark-colored SUV pulled up, with the passenger firing shots at both men. Half Ounce’s friend was able to flee the scene.
Police told Fox 11 that the rapper was on the phone with his pregnant wife, who also heard gunshots and rushed to the scene. As per the police, the suspect is still at large. The artist is survived by an 8-year-old daughter, a 2-year-old son, and a 9-month-old son.
Tributes pour in for Half Ounce as rapper shot dead at 32
As news of the rapper’s death went viral, tributes started to pour in. Some users noted that it was sad for such a young talent to be taken away, while some called the killing ridiculous.
More about the rapper's work
Half Ounce, who had a sizable following of over 15,000 users on Instagram, released various songs this year. These included Gangbanging and About It. The rapper had recently promoted his forthcoming single, Drop The Ball, which was slated to be released on October 14.
An aspiring rapper, Half Ounce has been making music for the past five years and has released several projects around the gangster lifestyle. He often featured Piru tattoos and Phillies’ P’ hats in his music videos, along with gang signs and tags. He also collaborated with several rappers.
This is the third shooting in Los Angeles in less than a month
Half Ounce is the third rapper to have been shot and killed in Los Angeles County in less than a month. On September 12, rapper Rakim Allen or PnB Rock was shot during a robbery. The artist, 30, was having lunch at Roscoe’s House of Chicken & Waffles in South Los Angeles.
Then on September 24, Kee Riches, whose original name was Kian Nellum, was shot dead along with Robert Leflore Jr (29). As per the Los Angeles Police Department, there has been an increase in follow-home robberies, especially those targeting celebrities.
Authorities are investigating the possible reason behind the shooting. As per reports, the authorities are looking through security footage and other surveillance videos in the area to identify O’Brien’s friend and the suspected gunman. The culprit was said to be in the passenger seat of the vehicle. He is described as a black male wearing dark clothing who fled the scene following the shooting.
