How Did XXXTentacion Die? Revisiting the Rapper's Shocking Murder, 7 Years Later
XXXTentacion was shot and killed during a robbery in June 2018
Four men were charged in connection with his death
Three of the men involved in XXXTentacion's death were sentenced to life in prisonFans are still mourning the loss of XXXTentacion — and grappling with the complicated legacy he left behind.
The 20-year-old rapper, born Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy, was shot and killed during a robbery outside a Florida motorcycle dealership in June 2018. Four men were later charged in connection with the murder.
XXXTentacion first made his name as a founding member of the underground hip-hop collective Members Only, and was gaining traction as a solo artist shortly before he died. His debut solo album, 17, peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 in 2017, and his second, ?, debuted at No. 1 the following year.
But his career was also clouded by serious legal issues, including allegations of aggravated battery of a pregnant woman, domestic battery by strangulation, false imprisonment and witness-tampering, according to Pitchfork. He denied the accusations and was working to resolve the charges at the time of his death, XXXTentacion's attorney J. David Bogenschutz told PEOPLE at the time.
Here's everything to know about how XXXTentacion died and what happened to the four men responsible.
On June 18, 2018, XXXTentacion was blocked by a dark-colored SUV as he was leaving a motorcycle dealership in Deerfield Beach, Fla. According to the Broward County Sheriff's Office, 'two armed suspects' approached the rapper's car and attempted to steal his Louis Vuitton bag.
One of the assailants fired multiple shots at XXXTentacion before fleeing the scene with the bag. An hour later, the rapper was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
XXXTentacion's bag contained $50,000, which he had withdrawn from a Bank of America branch in Coconut Creek, Fla., earlier that day, per CBS News. XXXTentacion originally intended to withdraw $250,000, but the bank didn't have that much cash available, according to testimony from the teller that was later reported by the outlet.
In July 2018, four men were indicted on first-degree murder and armed robbery charges in XXXTentacion's death: Dedrick Williams, Michael Boatwright, Trayvon Newsome and Robert Allen.
Williams was arrested two days after the shooting and was charged with first-degree murder without premeditation, driving without a valid license and a probation violation for theft of a car. On July 5, 2018, Boatwright was taken into custody for unrelated drug charges.
Allen was arrested in Georgia in July 2018, according to CNN, while Newsome eventually turned himself in in August 2018, per the outlet.
Allen later accepted a plea deal for second-degree murder and testified against Williams, Boatwright and Newsome, per the Associated Press. During his testimony, Allen claimed that he and his three co-defendants had made a plan to rob unsuspecting victims that day.
While gathering supplies for the crime, the group allegedly ran across XXXTentacion and decided to go after him. Allen claimed he told his co-defendants it wasn't 'a good idea,' but they went through with it anyway.
Newsome and Boatwright were identified as the two armed assailants who approached XXXTentacion. The latter was the fatal gunman, according to the Associated Press.
In April 2023, Boatwright, Newsome and Williams were all sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Allen was sentenced to seven years in prison, with credit for five years of time already served, and 20 years of probation, per the Associated Press.
Allen was released in November 2023, according to the Florida Department of Corrections.
While the rapper's exact last words haven't been made public, an undated clip that resurfaced after his death revealed what he hoped his legacy would be.
'If worse thing comes to worst, and I f------ die or some s--- and I'm not able to see out my dreams, I at least want to know that the kids perceived my message and were able to make something of themselves,' XXXTentacion said in the footage, adding that he loved and appreciated his fans.
He continued, 'Do not let your depression make you. Do not let your body define your soul, let your soul find your body. Your mind is limitless. You are worth more than you can believe. All you have to do is dream and all you have to do is want to fulfill that dream and have the strength.'
After XXXTentacion's death, fans held an impromptu memorial for the rapper in Los Angeles and were later invited to an official service at the BB&T Center (now known as the Amerant Bank Arena) in Sunrise, Fla. He was buried after a private funeral attended by his family and friends, according to E! Online.
The rapper's death wasn't without controversy, as his music was often overshadowed by his run-ins with the law. At the time of his death, XXXTentacion was awaiting trial for multiple felony charges for allegedly assaulting a pregnant woman while they lived together.
He denied the accusations, with his attorney, Bogenschutz, later claiming to PEOPLE that the artist had been 'absolutely perfect' in the eight months before his death.
'[He] had reached the point in his life where he had realized this is his life and that's not something that he squanders,' the lawyer said. 'And one of the unfortunate things about this is that he realized that and was moving toward an ability to handle his own life finally ... and it's less than serendipitous that this was when he was struck down.'
XXXTentacion's attorney added that the rapper was 'in the process of reaching a resolution' at the time he was murdered.
After he died, XXXTentacion's mother revealed that his girlfriend, Jenesis Sanchez, was expecting a child. XXXTentacion's son Gekyume Onfroy was born on Jan. 26, 2019.
The rapper picked out his son's name before death, as his family shared in a statement to PEOPLE.
'Gekyume's name is derived from a word X created prior to his passing, which means 'a different state' or 'next' universe of thought," they said. "XXXTentacion specifically chose this name for his first born son; his family is honored to fulfill his wish and shower baby Gekyume with love."
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