Rapper Bloodhound Q50 gunned down outside Chicago gas station
Rapper Bloodhound Q50 killed in shooting outside Chicago gas station
Chicago rapper Bloodhound Q50 was shot and killed outside a South Side gas station on Sunday with several viral videos apparently showing the shooting.
CHICAGO - Chicago rapper Bloodhound Q50 was shot and killed outside a South Side gas station on Sunday with several viral videos apparently showing the shooting.
Bloodhound Q50 killed in Chicago
The backstory:
The rapper, whose real name was Mikquale Cooper, was in a vehicle outside a BP gas station located at 4248 S. Wentworth Ave., just before 4 a.m. when two cars pulled up and several people from each vehicle started shooting, according to police.
Cooper was shot in the chest and shoulder. Paramedics treated him at the scene before he was pronounced dead at 4:35 a.m., according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.
Shooting videos circulate online
What we know:
Multiple videos that appear to show the shooting were shared on social media. The footage appears to show at least two gunmen approaching Cooper's vehicle on foot before opening fire, differing in some respects from the initial account provided by police.
The videos appear to capture dozens of gunshots, with the driver's side of the vehicle riddled with bullet holes.
FOX Chicago spoke with a woman who asked not to be identified and said she was present during the shooting. She said she noticed the gunmen approaching Cooper's vehicle and tried to warn him moments before the shooting began.
The woman said she ran from the scene after the gunfire started. She also claimed the suspects experienced a problem with a seat belt while attempting to leave. FOX Chicago has not independently verified that claim.
She said she has since left Illinois.
FOX Chicago has also seen social media posts claiming the gunmen have been identified after some allegedly posted about the shooting on Instagram. Some posts shared hours after the shooting appear to show several young men displaying firearms with extended magazines similar to those seen in the shooting videos. FOX Chicago has also not independently verified those claims.
Police have not announced any arrests, released suspect descriptions or disclosed a motive. Investigators are asking anyone with information to come forward.
FOX Chicago contacted Ald. Pat Dowell, whose ward includes the shooting scene, but she was unavailable for comment.
Big picture view:
Cooper began releasing music in 2023 and quickly built a following with songs including "Big 3" and "Coffin." He signed a deal with Signal Records by the end of 2024.
Cooper performed at Rolling Loud last May. The music festival expressed its condolences on Instagram.
Cooper averaged over a million monthly listeners on Spotify. His latest release, "Get Back or Die Trying," came out last month.
What's next:
Police have not announced any arrests in the shooting or provided descriptions of the suspects. Area One detectives are leading the investigation.
The Source: The information in this report came from the Chicago Police Department, the Cook County medical examiner's office, witness interviews conducted by FOX Chicago, social media videos and posts reviewed by FOX Chicago, Rolling Loud, Signal Records, Spotify and previous FOX Chicago reporting.