Rapper Chris King killed in Nashville at age 32, Justin Bieber pays tribute

Celebrities

By Nika Shakhnazarova

Rapper Chris King was fatally shot in Nashville, Tennessee, on April 20 in a shooting that left others injured. He was 32 years old.

The musician, who was close friends with Justin Bieber, Machine Gun Kelly, Keke Palmer and Trippie Redd, was in an alley with friends when shots were fired in downtown Nashville.

Moments before the shooting, three men — who King’s group did not know — approached the group and attempted to rob them, Nashville police confirmed in a news release.

“The 29-year-old victim (survivor) stated that the group was hanging out cordially for a while before the three suspects attempted to rob her group of friends,” police said. “That’s when he heard gunshots and realized he had been hit.”

The surviving victim has not been publicly identified by police.

King, real name Christopher Cheeks, succumbed to his injuries after being rushed to Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Officials said “homicide unit detectives are working on strong and active leads” to explain the shooting.

Following the news of King’s death, his famous friends rushed to social media to pay tribute to the rapper.

Justin Bieber, who was once King’s roommate over a decade ago, wrote on his Instagram Story: “I love you bro. This one hurts. Please keep his family in your prayers. See you in heaven, brother.

In December, King revealed that he and the “Peaches” singer lived together “almost 10 years ago.”

“I’m glad some people never change no matter what,” King captioned a photo of them together on Instagram at the time. “(A)ll love, extended family forever. »

Other celebrities also paid tribute to King, including rapper Trippie Redd, who boasted of a close friendship with the “1 Man Army” hitmaker.

“I loved you until we found ourselves twins,” Redd wrote on Instagram. “I wouldn’t be where I am today without @whoischrisking, he introduced me to @elliotgrainge & @milothelight 🙏 and he always had the best energy, he had so many friends and it shows I love you guys guy to support one of my best friends ever, my brother.”

In the comments, Machine Gun Kelly wrote that “Chris was rare.”

Elsewhere, Keke Palmer recalled that the pair launched their respective careers together.

“I wish I had more photos but this is actually perfect because this is exactly how it all started,” she wrote alongside a snap of the couple via Instagram. “I can’t believe I’m saying rest in peace. It’s terrible. I really don’t know what to say. I just want to share that I loved you and remember all the walks around town, the times in the grove.

King launched his career over a decade ago, releasing several mixtapes and LPs during that time.

His most popular work includes the “Luck of the Snotty” series, and he released his latest project, a song called “Seeing Double Seeing Double”, on April 8.

The rapper was in Tennessee this weekend to perform Friday night at the Nashville Cannafest.