Photo credit: Henning Witzel
An 18-year-old man charged with Pop Smoke’s murder has confessed in a juvenile court to fatally shooting the rapper in a home burglary in February 2020.
An 18-year-old, who was 15 at the time of the murder, confessed to charges of first-degree murder and robbery, in which he intentionally fired a firearm during the February 2020 incident that resulted in the death of a 20-year-old . old rapper Pop Smoke. Pop Smoke was a rising star in the hip-hop world before his death.
The accused, whose name was not released by order of the presiding judge, confessed to his crimes in juvenile court on Friday and is reportedly being held in a juvenile detention center until the age of 25.
The 18-year-old is one of four accused of killing Pop Smoke, née Bashar Barakah Jackson, while he was staying at a rented home in the Hollywood Hills. The confession comes a month after one of his accomplices – 17 at the time of the incident – was sentenced to four years and two months in a juvenile detention center after pleading guilty to first degree manslaughter and robbery.
According to the Los Angeles TimesJackson was on a four-day trip to Los Angeles when he posted a picture to Instagram that revealed his address. He was in the shower when four people broke into his home, forced their way into his bedroom, whipped him with pistols and shot him three times in the back. They also reportedly stole Pop Smoke’s watch, which they sold for $2,000.
The rapper rose to prominence following the release of his 2019 single “Welcome to the Party.” He released two mixtapes: 2019 Meet the Wooand 2020s Meet Woo 2. his debut album, Shoot for the stars, aim for the moonwas produced by 50 Cent and released by Republic Records in July 2020 after the death of Pop Smoke. Republic released his second album, Believein July 2021.