A grand jury in Harris County, Texas, indicted a man suspected of killing rapper Takeoff on a murder charge Thursday.
The grand jury is accused of shooting and killing a Migos member, whose real name was Kirshnik Khari Ball, on Nov. 1, according to court documents reviewed by The Times.
Court records say Clark, a 33-year-old DJ and nightclub promoter, was arrested by Houston police in December and is out on $1 million bond. He is under house arrest and awaits his next hearing in August.
Letitia Quinones-Hollins, one of Clark’s attorneys, told The Associated Press that the indictment was not unexpected.
“When we get inside a courtroom and in front of a jury where we will be able to lay our evidence and cross-examine the State’s witnesses … we expect the jury to come back with a verdict of not guilty.” ,” Quiñones-Hollins said in a statement Thursday.
Homicide detectives from the Houston Police Department previously said video surveillance, cellphone video and audio, physical and ballistic evidence and shooting reconstruction led to Clark’s arrest.
The takeoff was “an innocent bystander” who was “in the wrong place at the wrong time,” police said. The Atlanta rapper was in the crowd leaving a private party at a bowling alley when he was shot in the head and torso. Takeoff was pronounced dead at the scene. He was 28 years old.
According to investigators, the gunfire broke out after a “profitable dice game” outside the event, where an argument occurred. Takeoff was neither involved in dice games nor outside logic and was not armed.
Takeoff was one of three members of the Atlanta-based hip-hop band Migos, along with his uncle Quavo, 32, and friend Offset, 31. The Grammy-nominated group is known for hits like “Walk It Talk It,” “Stir the Fry” and “Bad and Boujee.” A month before Takeoff died, he and Quavo released an album, “Only Built for Infinity Lynx,” under the name Unc & Phew – short for uncle and nephew.
His death was mourned across the hip-hop world, with tributes from fellow artists pouring in for the rapper. Quavo performed a tribute at the 2023 Grammy Awards with a song he wrote for his late nephew, “Without You”.
Amid news of the indictment, Cardi B, who is married to Offset, shared her message about Takeoff on Thursday.
“What an angel god has blessed this earth,” the “I Like It” hitmaker wrote on her Instagram story. “Protect your brothers and your family. I know you see tears. I know you see them looking up at the sky to see why – what a beautiful soul.
Times Staff Writers Nardine Saad and Kenan Draughhorn contributed to this report.
