What's New  

Pop Smoke’s Social Media Posts Led Killers To His LA Home

By Michael Bamidele

10 July 2020   |   11:11 am

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on WhatsApp Share on Telegram

Police believe that the killers of Pop Smoke were led to his home following his posts on social media after five people were arrested in connection with the death of the fast-rising rapper who was shot home-invasion robbery in February. Los Angeles police on Thursday announced on Twitter that "three adult males" and "two juvenile males", had…

Pop Smoke | Image: Griffin Lotz/Rolling Stone

Police believe that the killers of Pop Smoke were led to his home following his posts on social media after five people were arrested in connection with the death of the fast-rising rapper who was shot home-invasion robbery in February.

Los Angeles police on Thursday announced on Twitter that “three adult males” and “two juvenile males”, had been arrested.

The announcement comes six days after Pop Smoke’s posthumous album, “Shoot for the Stars Aim for the Moon” was released.

Read More:
Who Is Pop Smoke? 10 Facts About The Rapper

The Associated Press reports that Capt. Jonathan Tippet, who oversees the Los Angeles Police Department’s elite Robbery-Homicide Division, said three men and two teenage boys likely went to the home because they knew Pop Smoke was there from social media posts. They stole items from the home, though Tippet said he could not divulge what was taken. The teens were 15 and 17 years old.

“We believe that it was a robbery. Initially we didn’t really have the evidence but then we discovered some other evidence that showed this was likely a home invasion gone bad,” Tippet told The Associated Press on Thursday.

The five suspects who were arrested Thursday morning after detectives served several search warrants in Los Angeles are believed to be members of a South Los Angeles gang.

The men are also believed to be linked to the 2019 homicide of an 18-year-old man when a fight escalated into a shooting outside the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

The LAPD identified the three adults arrested on Thursday 9 July 2020 as Corey Walker, 19, and Keandre Rodgers, 18, who are charged with murder, and 21-year-old Jaquan Murphy, charged with attempted murder. The 15-year-old and the 17-year-old also were booked on suspicion of murder.

Pop Smoke, whose legal name is Bashar Barakah Jackson, was killed in a home invasion at a Hollywood Hills residence in February.

It is believed that the rapper’s social media post may have given him away. According to The Los Angeles Times, the rapper posted pictures of himself posing by an infinity pool in the home’s backyard, as well as a picture of the Los Angeles skyline from what was likely the house’s backyard. In another post, Pop Smoke or a member of his entourage put a picture of a gift bag tagged with the Hollywood Hills address and a different photo showed him posing by a Ranger Rover in a spot where the home’s address was partly visible in the background.

“It’s our belief that (the home-invasion robbery) was based on some of the social media” posts, Tippet said. “It’s based on the fact that he was posting his information may have contributed to him knowing where to find him.”

Pop Smoke released his breakout single “Welcome to the Party” in April 2019. The track was the lead single of his debut mixtape Meet the Woo, which was released in July 2019. “Welcome to the Party” saw official remixes from both Nicki Minaj and Skepta. The rapper also collaborated with Travis Scott on “GATTI” from last year’s JACKBOYS label compilation.