Man accused of Pop Smoke's murder set to stand trial this June
Corey Walker will go on trial in Los Angeles on June 25, after being charged in connection with rapper's fatal shooting in 2020
One of four suspects charged involved in the fatal shooting of Pop Smoke is set to go to trial in Los Angeles on June 25 — according to a report from Rolling Stone.
Pop Smoke, real name Bashar Jackson, was shot multiple times during a home invasion on February 19 2020.
According to an LAPD report seen by Hypebeast, Pop Smoke had shared a photo to Instagram revealing his location at a rented property in Hollywood Hills — leading to four attackers allegedly breaking into the home at around 4:30AM EST, before shooting Jackson and stealing a diamond-studded Rolex.
The 20-year-old rapper was left critically injured following the attack before being pronounced dead at Los Angeles' Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
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Five arrests were made in connection with the death in 2020, of which four males were charged with murder, the LAPD confirmed.
Two unnamed suspects were reportedly teens at the time of the crime, aged 17 and 15. Since 2020, both of the men have confessed to involvement in the death of the musician and were subsequently charged as juveniles due to their ages at the time of the crime.
The two named adult suspects, Corey Walker and Keandre Rodgers have yet to face conviction. However, Walker has now received a trial date, marking him as the "sole defendant charged as an adult".
According to a report by Vibe, Walker pleaded not guilty to "one count of murder and three counts related to the alleged home-invasion robbery".
Christopher Darden, the defendant's former lawyer claimed his client “did not plan this crime” remaining outside as the getaway driver.
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During the most recent court hearing, prosecutors claimed Walker "facilitated the crimes by not only surveilling the crime scene before the crimes were committed but serving as the researcher, getaway driver, weapons provider and planner of this home invasion robbery.”
Belle Richardson is Mixmag's Digital Intern, follow her on Twitter