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ASAP Rocky To Stand Trial In Connection To Alleged Shooting
ASAP Rocky is set to stand trial in January 2024 for allegedly firing a semi-automatic handgun at ASAP Relli.
The decision was made during a preliminary hearing in Los Angeles on Monday (Nov. 20), where Judge M.L. Villar found sufficient evidence to proceed with the case. Rocky, who pleaded not guilty to two counts of assault with a firearm, faces charges from the incident dated Nov. 6, 2021.
At the hearing, LAPD Detective Frank Flores testified and presented new surveillance footage. The video captured two loud sounds, which the prosecution suggested were gunshots, but didn’t visually show the shooting.
According to Flores, Rocky had a gun during the confrontation, but the weapon itself was never recovered. Additionally, the two shell casings found at the scene by Relli and handed over to the police had no fingerprints.
The “RIOT (Rowdy Pipe’n)” rapper’s attorney, Joe Tacopina, expressed confidence in his client’s innocence outside the courthouse. He stated, “I am certain Rocky is going to be vindicated when all of this is said and done.”
In September, Tacopina similarly told TMZ, “This is actually nothing more than a publicity stunt, which is going to backfire badly. I more than welcome this lawsuit, especially because the resolution of the criminal case has not happened yet.”
Meanwhile, Relli claimed he was hit by bullet fragments from the altercation, per PEOPLE. He detailed the deterioration of their friendship and the circumstances leading to their final confrontation near a Hollywood parking garage.
“He pointed it toward my stomach [and said], ‘I’ll kill you right now,’” Relli alleged. “I said, ‘Shoot it’ because I was mad. I said, ‘Why you bring a gun if you not going to use it?’ I would never bring a weapon. Not in that situation.”
This legal incident follows Rocky’s July 2019 arrest in Sweden for assault. His upcoming trial will take place on Jan. 8, 2024.