Four of the five suspects recently arrested in connection with the murder of rapper Pop Smoke have officially been charged.
20-year-old rapper Pop Smoke, given name, Bashar Barakah Jackson, was shot and killed in February in what officials dub as a robbery gone wrong. Last week there was a major break in the case when the Los Angeles Police Department arrested five individuals reporting that they were confident they had found his killers. It was also revealed that the assailants had no prior knowledge of Pop Smoke, but had instead, located his address on social media along with his posting of cash and jewelry and proceeded to plan a burglary.
Today, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has announced that official charges have been brought against two adults, 19-year-old Corey Walker and 18-year-old Keandre Rodgers. Both men are looking at murder with special circumstance charges as the murder was committed during the commission of a burglary.
According to the D.A.’s Office, both men could also face the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted of the gruesome murder, TMZ reported. The decision to seek capital punishment has not yet been agreed upon by officials but will be evaluated at a later date. They also note that gang and gun allegations have been documented in the complaint.
In addition to the two adults, two minors were also charged. Although their identities have not been published, the suspects who are ages 17 and 15, were each charged with one count of murder and robbery in juvenile court. There is no information on why the fifth suspect who was arrested was not charged along with the other assailants.
Walker and Rodgers are expected to be indicted today. Further details will be published as the story develops.
