Rapper Chris King killed in Nashville at age 32 as close pal Justin Bieber pays tribute
Rapper Chris King was fatally shot in Nashville, Tenn., on April 20 in a shooting that left others injured. He was 32.
The musician, who was close friends with Justin Bieber, Machine Gun Kelly, Keke Palmer, and Trippie Redd, was in an alley with pals when were shots fired in downtown Nashville.
Moments before the shooting, three men — whom King’s group did not know — approached the group and attempted to rob them, Nashville Police Department confirmed in a press release.
“The (surviving) 29-year-old victim reported the group was hanging out cordially for some time before the three suspects attempted to rob his group of friends,” police said. “It was then that he heard gunfire and realized he was struck.”
The surviving victim has not been publicly identified by police.
King, whose real name was Christopher Cheeks, succumbed to his injuries after being rushed to Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Officials said that “homicide unit detectives are working strong, active leads” into the shooting.
Following the news of King’s death, his famous pals rushed to social media to pay tribute to the rapper.
Justin Bieber, who was once King’s roommate over a decade ago, wrote on his Instagram Story, “Love you bro. This one hurts. Please keep his family in your prayers. See you in paradise brother.”
In December, King revealed that he and the “Peaches” hitmaker lived together “almost 10 years ago.”
“Glad some people never change no matter what,” King captioned a photo of them together on Instagram at the time. “(A)ll love, forever extended family.”
Other celebs also paid their respects to King, including rapper Trippie Redd, who boasted a close friendship with the “1 Man Army” hitmaker.
“I love you until we meet again twin,” Redd wrote on Instagram. “I would not be where I am today without @whoischrisking he introduced me to @elliotgrainge & @milothelight 🙏 and he had the best energy always he had so many friends and it shows I love you guys for supporting one of my best friends ever my brother.”
In the comments, Machine Gun Kelly wrote that “Chris was rare.”
Elsewhere, Keke Palmer recalled the pair kickstarting their respective careers together.
“I wish I had more photos but it’s actually perfect because this is exactly how it began,” she wrote alongside a throwback snap of the pair via Instagram. “I can’t believe I’m saying rest in peace. This is terrible. I really don’t know what to say. I just want to share that I loved you and I remember all the city walk, grove moments.”
King kickstarted his career over a decade ago, releasing several mixtapes and LPs during that time.
His most popular work includes the “Luck of the Snotty” series, and he released his final project, a song titled “Seeing Double Seeing Double,” on April 8.
The rapper was in Tenn., over the weekend to perform Friday night at the Nashville Cannafest.
