Rapper PnB Rock was reportedly shot and killed while he was with his girlfriend at a Los Angeles restaurant on Monday afternoon in what police said was a possible robbery.
LAPD officers responded to a shooting at Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles at around 1:15 p.m. and found a victim with multiple wounds. Capt. Kelly Muniz said at a news conference that the victim and a woman were eating at the restaurant when they were approached by at least one suspect, who raised a gun and “demanded property” from the victim. The suspect shot the victim multiple times, took his belongings, and left in a getaway car, Muniz said.
The Los Angeles Times reported, citing anonymous law enforcement sources, that the person killed was PnB Rock — whose real name was Rakim Allen.
Police said the victim was pronounced dead at 2 p.m. A spokesperson declined to identify the victim out of respect for family and loved ones.
“It is very early in the investigation and more details will be released as they become available,” the spokesperson said.
Allen, a Philadelphia native, was best known for his 2016 hit song “Selfish.” His latest single, “Luv Me Again,” was released independently on Sept. 2.
On a recent taping of the podcast Off the Record With DJ Akademiks, Allen talked about nearly being robbed in LA during the pandemic while he was out with his girlfriend and one of his daughters.
“Where I’m from, we like sneaky criminals. LA, it’s like, they bold,” he said.
“I don’t be outside,” he said. “I’m not going to put myself in those situations because I know what happens in those situations.”
Minutes before the shooting on Monday, Allen’s girlfriend had posted a geotagged photo of their meal on her Instagram story, the LA Times reported. Her account has since been deleted.
News of Allen’s death led to a flood of posts mourning him and criticizing his girlfriend for sharing their location. Many pointed to what happened to Pop Smoke, a 20-year-old Brooklyn rapper who was killed during a home invasion robbery in LA in 2020. Police believe that the suspects discovered his location from his posts on social media.
“After Pop Smoke there’s no way we as rappers or our loved ones are still posting locations to our whereabouts,” Nicki Minaj tweeted.
