A spontaneous memorial forced cops to fire rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse hundreds of rap fans who took over a central Los Angeles neighborhood on Tuesday to pay final respects to slain hip hop artist XXXTentacion.
According to the Los Angeles Times, an estimated 1,000 people gathered
Tuesday night on Los Angeles’ Melrose Avenue to mourn the 20-year-old rapper Jahseh Onfroy, his real name, who died on Monday after being shot in Miami.
Carrying candles and lit cellphones for a while, some of the mourners became rowdy, climbing onto building roofs and swarming passing cars, the LA Times reported.
Officers eventually fired tear gas, pepper-spray balls and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd, according to both media outlets.
According to the Spin, the event was reportedly organized by Adam Grandmaison of the No Jumper podcast/YouTube channel. He recorded an infamous interview with the rapper in 2016 in which XXXTentacion talks at length about attacking a gay inmate while in prison.
“I don’t know how they can just bring out the cops. We’re just people trying to like remember their favorite artist because people really impact other people by their music. This is how people get through things.’’ A fan was quoted saying.
No arrests were made however, XXXTentacion’s death has spurned a variety of reactions. While fans and fellow artists such as Kanye West and Diplo lamented the loss of a young rapper, others are unsure how to express their condolences, given the artist’s long history of multiple alleged accounts of domestic and sexual violence.
