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Young Dolph's shooting death: Here's what we know about suspects, reports of shootings

Dima Amro, Memphis Commercial Appeal
3 min read

Police continue to investigate the Wednesday shooting death of Memphis rapper Young Dolph.

The high-profile rapper, whose real name is Adolph Thornton Jr., was shot and killed inside Makeda's Homemade Butter Cookies on North Airways Boulevard in Memphis, a bakery the 36-year-old frequented on his visits home.

Hundreds of men, women and children gathered in disbelief and sadness at the intersection of Joy Lane and Airways Boulevard following the shooting.

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Witnesses documented the aftermath on social media and identified the rapper's camouflaged Corvette parked in front of Makeda's.

In the hours following the shooting, social media rumors began to spread about shootings connected to other Memphis rappers, retaliation efforts and people of interest.

Here's what we know so far about the deadly shooting.

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Was Blac Youngsta’s grandmother’s home shot up?

Blac Youngsta's grandmother's Memphis home was not shot at, according to Memphis Police Department.

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While in Charlotte in February 2017, Dolph was inside his $300,000 SUV when the vehicle was shot at more than 100 times. Dolph said he was saved by the bulletproof panels in the car. Blac Youngsta, a Memphis rapper signed to Yo Gotti's record label, was among those charged in connection with the shooting. The charges against Blac Youngsta (whose real name is Sammie Benson) were dropped in 2019.

Was Yo Gotti’s restaurant Prive shot up?

Yo Gotti's restaurant, Prive, on Winchester Road was not shot at either, according to Memphis Police Department.

An ongoing "beef" between Yo Gotti (whose real name is Mario Mims) and Dolph has been a storyline in Memphis rap for several years. In a 2016 tweet, Dolph labeled Gotti "my BIGGEST HATER." The feud in part stemmed from Dolph's claims that he turned down offers to sign with Gotti's record label.

Was anyone else injured in the shooting?

Aside from Young Dolph, no other person was injured in Wednesday's shooting, according to Sgt. Louis Brownlee, Memphis Police public information officer.

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Have any suspects been identified?

On Thursday Memphis Police Department released photos of two alleged shooters and the vehicle they left in.

The two suspects fled the shooting scene in a white Mercedes with tinted windows. Each suspect is holding a weapon in the photos. They both wore dark colored hoodies and light colored pants.

Police ask anyone with information to call in tips to Crime Stoppers at 901-528-2274.

Did police find the car suspects were in?

Social media posts seem to show a white Mercedes similar to the one seen in surveillance photos being towed Saturday afternoon. Comments from various posts identified the area of Memphis seen in the photos as Orange Mound.

When asked about the car, Memphis police said no additional updates in the case were available.

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"I understand social media is buzzing, however, nothing additional is available at this time. Once additional info is available to share, trust and believe that we will get that information to you," said Sgt. Louis Brownlee, a Memphis police spokesperson.

Were there any retaliatory shootings?

There were no retaliatory shootings Wednesday connected to Young Dolph's death despite social media rumors, according to Brownlee.

On Thursday afternoon, a person was shot and wounded at a Family Dollar store that is next to Makeda's.

Memphis police said three people were detained in that shooting, and the cause was under investigation. It was unknown if that shooting had anything to do with the shooting of Young Dolph.

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Commercial Appeal reporters Micaela Watts, John Beifuss and Daniel Connolly contributed to this report.

Dima Amro covers the suburbs for The Commercial Appeal and can be reached at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Young Dolph killed in Memphis: What we know about the rapper's death

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