Rapper Lil Durk walked free from a Los Angeles courtroom on Friday after a jury acquitted him of all charges in a high-profile murder-for-hire case connected to a 2022 fatal shooting.
The jury deliberated for three days before returning not guilty verdicts on all five charges against the Chicago-based artist. The charges included conspiracy, stalking using a dangerous weapon, stalking resulting in death, and two counts involving murder-for-hire.
Federal prosecutors had alleged that Lil Durk orchestrated a hit on rival rapper Quando Rondo in retaliation for the 2020 killing of his friend, Dayvon "King Von" Bennett, who died during an incident at an Atlanta nightclub. However, the intended target survived the attack, while his cousin, Saviay'a Robinson, was killed.
The shooting occurred outside the Beverly Center in Los Angeles, where gunmen fired 18 shots at a black Escalade carrying Quando Rondo and his associates, according to prosecutors. Robinson was struck and killed in the barrage.
Defense attorneys successfully argued that Lil Durk's former assistant, Kavon Grant, was the actual person responsible for ordering the attack. The defense team contended that Grant acted independently in an attempt to impress his employer, rather than following any directive from the rapper himself.
Two other individuals faced charges alongside Lil Durk in connection with the shooting. The verdict marks a significant legal victory for the artist, who had faced the possibility of substantial prison time if convicted on the federal charges.
The case drew widespread attention due to its connection to ongoing tensions within the hip-hop community and the violent death of King Von in 2020. The acquittal brings an end to a lengthy legal battle that has shadowed Lil Durk's career for years.