Atlanta police have suggested Lil Baby, real name Dominique Jones, may be connected to a double murder in July 2024. The double murder of 13-year-old teens Lamon Freeman and Jakody Davis caused widespread scandal when police asserted a fight surrounding Lil Baby’s May 2024 music video shooting is connected to the murders. Lil Baby lawyers have since dismissed the allegations in a forceful statement as “complete and total nonsense.”
Controversy came about following a shooting on May 14, 2024, in close proximity to where Lil Baby shot his music video. Three men had been shot in a shooting in which tensions between rivaling gangs are thought to have risen, as confirmed by APD. The tensions are thought to have boiled out and resulted in the shootings on July 2, 2024, in which Davis and Freeman were killed and a 12-year-old child injured in Atlanta in the district known as the West End.
During a recent press conference, APD major Ralph Woolfolk suggested Lil Baby had shot his video in a territory belonging to a rival gang intentionally, leading to retaliatory violence. The APD asserts Lil Baby is connected to the gang 4PF (4 Pockets Full) and shot the video in territory belonging to OMF (Only My Family), a unit belonging to the Goodfellas street crime gang. Woolfolk labeled the act as “cowardly” and blamed Lil Baby for inciting gang violence.
Even though Lil Baby wasn’t specifically mentioned in the APD press conference, some Atlanta-based news sources had mentioned his name in arrest warrants for the incident. The police department confirmed the arrest of seven Atlanta men connected to shootings on July 2: Quiyontay Sanders, Richard Hollis, Reginald Thomas, Dekeitheon Mobley, Markus Crawford, Tradon Crawford, and Ali Caldwell.
Lil Baby’s attorney, Drew Findling, responded Feb. 28, 2025, forcefully negating any connection between the rapper and the slayings. “Placing Lil Baby in this context is unethical, unprofessional and shameful,” he asserted. “Where to film a music video is up to a creative staff and not Lil Baby.” He added that Lil Baby is “heartbroken” about the tragedy as victims are neighbors in his own hood.
In addition, Lil Baby took to Instagram to mobilize his audience and urged them not to “get misled by fake news.” His account has over 23 million subscribers and his statement trended in no time as many of them came out in his defense.
Charges leveled at Lil Baby have prompted widespread online discussion. Industry members and Lil Baby’s fans have criticized the APD for its approach, some believing the rapper is being targeted for being prominent in the industry. Some have opined that the case is symptomatic of broader concerns about industry and gang violence.
Music industry leaders and musicians have had their say as well. Some industry players have compared it to previous cases involving prominent rappers, like Young Thug’s RICO trial, in which there had been allegations about gang affiliations as well. On the other hand, critics say police should be concerned about actual proof and not hypothetical associations.
The furor is indicative of a larger discourse about Atlanta’s police practices and gang violence, as Atlanta has had a rise in instances of gang crime in recent history. The police have targeted hip-hop culture increasingly, citing associations and lyrics as evidence in courts. The debate still lingers as to whether and why this is a crime-fighting tool or if it is targeting Black artists. Even though there is no direct evidence as yet involving Lil Baby in the shootings on July 2, there could still be serious implications for his career. If he is targeted for arrest and prosecution by the APD, he may be involved in lawsuits that impact touring and releasing music. His lawyers are still insisting, though, that there is no connection to the crimes.
