Memphis police release photos of suspects in rapper Young Dolph’s fatal shooting
By Aya Elamroussi and Chris Boyette, CNN
Police have released surveillance photos of two suspects they believe killed rapper Young Dolph.
The Memphis Police Department said it obtained video surveillance showing two suspects getting out of a white two-door Mercedes Benz armed with firearms and approaching the rapper as he was inside a cookie shop on Wednesday. The suspects, whose faces were partially covered, shot Young Dolph several times before fleeing the scene.
Young Dolph, whose real name is Adolph Robert Thornton Jr., was killed inside Makeda’s Homemade Butter Cookies while making a purchase at the popular shop in Memphis. The 36-year-old rapper is survived by two children.
The police department posted the photos on its Twitter account, noting that no arrests have been made, and the investigation is ongoing.
“This shooting is another example of the senseless gun violence we are experiencing locally and nationwide. Our hearts go out to the Thornton family and all who are affected by this horrific act of violence,” Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis said.
Young Dolph was a native of Chicago who grew up in Memphis. He released his debut album, “King of Memphis” in 2016, and he’s also known for “Rich Slave,” which dropped in 2020 and rose to No. 5 on the Billboard 200 chart.
He had several hits in his career, including “Blue Diamonds,” and “RNB” featuring Megan Thee Stallion.
In 2017, he was nearly killed in a shooting incident in Hollywood. He spent weeks hospitalized after sustaining three gunshot wounds.
“I’ve been targeted since I was 17, 18, 19,” Young Dolph told The Guardian about the incident in a 2018 interview. “I just knew that I was good.”
He added that he wasn’t “a person that lives in fear.”
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CNN’s Chloe Melas and Amir Vera contributed to this report.
