Rapper Offset was shot outside the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood and is in stable condition at a hospital following the Monday night incident. The former Migos member, whose real name is Kiari Kendrell Cephus, was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries after the shooting occurred in the valet area outside the casino after 7 p.m. A spokesperson for the rapper confirmed the shooting to NBC News and provided an update on his condition.
“He is stable and being closely monitored,” the spokesperson said. The Seminole Police Department said a person was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries following an “incident” that happened in the valet area, though police did not identify the victim. The shooting followed a fight at the casino, according to police reports.
“The site is secure and there is no threat to the public,” Seminole Police said, adding that casino operations continued as normal. Two people were detained in connection with the incident, and authorities are investigating what transpired. Police said the altercation began with a fight before escalating to the shooting.
Rapper Tione Jayden Merritt, who goes by the name Lil Tjay, was charged with disorderly conduct and operating a vehicle without a valid license in connection with the incident. The 24-year-old rapper from New York’s South Bronx was arrested for the altercation that occurred before the shooting, according to the Seminole Police Department. His attorney, Dawn M. Florio, told The Associated Press that Lil Tjay did not have a gun and was not charged with any weapons or gun-related crimes.
“Lil Tjay was not involved in the shooting,” Merritt’s attorney said in a statement. She confirmed he paid his bond and was released Tuesday afternoon. The second person detained at the scene has not been charged, and investigators are working to identify “one or more persons” involved, according to Seminole Police.
Offset first made a name for himself with Migos, the Atlanta-based hip hop trio that became one of the most popular hip-hop groups of all time. The group was celebrated for their rapid-fire triplet flow, an often imitated delivery that changed the trajectory of trap music. His cousin Takeoff, another member of Migos, was killed in a shooting at a Houston bowling alley in 2022.
The rapper was formerly married to Cardi B, with whom he shares three children after they secretly wed in September 2017. Cardi B announced in 2024 that she filed for divorce from Offset. The couple’s relationship had been highly publicized throughout their marriage and subsequent separation.
Lil Tjay is known as a stalwart of New York’s South Bronx scene, celebrated for his sing-rapping and pop-hip-hop style delivered atop drill beats. The incident marks another violent episode involving prominent figures in the hip-hop community. Police continue their investigation to identify additional persons who may have been involved in the shooting incident.