Lil Baby at the Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards 2024 held at Barker Hangar on July 13, 2024 in Santa Monica, California. (Photo by Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)
ATLANTA – Atlanta rapper Lil Baby is pushing back after Atlanta Police Homicide Commander Maj. Ralph Woolfolk suggested that a music video shoot he held last summer contributed to the deaths of two 13-year-old boys. At a press conference Wednesday, Woolfolk described the event as a “cowardly act” and alleged that the rapper filmed in a location he “knew he should not have been.”
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How it started
What we know:
According to Atlanta police, a shooting occurred during Lil Baby’s music video shoot in May 2024, leaving three men injured. Authorities say the incident fueled ongoing tensions between two rival gangs—4PF (Four Pockets Full) and OMF (Only My Family)—and led to multiple homicides and aggravated assaults in the months that followed. Among the victims were 13-year-olds Lamon Fremon and JaKody Davis, who were shot and killed on July 2, 2024. An 11-year-old, Dontavious Davis, was also wounded in the same attack.
PREVIOUS: Arrest warrant confirms Atlanta rapper Lil Baby’s connection to boys’ murders
Seven men—Quiyontay Sanders, Richard Hollis, Reginald Thomas, Dekeitheon Mobley, Markus Crawford, Tradon Crawford, and Ali Caldwell—have been arrested in connection to the July 2 fatal shooting. Their arrest warrants reportedly name Lil Baby, whose real name is Dominique Jones, and claim he is the leader of OMF, which authorities describe as a subset of the “hyperviolent” Goodfellas street gang.
Lil Baby responds
What they’re saying:
Lil Baby, who is preparing for his WHAM World Tour set to begin in June, initially responded via Instagram late Thursday night by thanking fans for their support and warning them against believing “fake news.”
On Friday, his attorneys, Drew Findling and Marissa Goldberg, sent a statement to FOX 5 Atlanta, calling the police statements “complete and total nonsense.”
“The part of the press conference on Wednesday by the Atlanta Police Department that made an obvious reference to Dominique Jones was complete and total nonsense,” the statement read. “To say that he couldn’t shoot a music video in his hometown, a place that he loves and has continued to uplift, is disgraceful. Even more, the location for a major music video shoot is a decision made by a professional team and is not a decision made by any individual.”
The attorneys further criticized the police, calling their statements “unprofessional, unethical, and shameful.” They emphasized that Lil Baby had no involvement in the crimes and is deeply affected by the tragedy. “Dominique is devastated about the situation because those children came from the same neighborhood he did, and he will continue to build up his community in any way he can.”
FULL STATEMENT BELOW:
The part of the press conference on Wednesday by the Atlanta Police Department that made an obvious reference to Dominique Jones was complete and total nonsense. To say that he couldn’t shoot a music video in his home town, a place that he loves and has continued to uplift, is disgraceful. Even more, the location for a major music video shoot is a decision made by a professional team and is not a decision made by any individual. Bringing his name into a conversation regarding a terrible crime for which he had absolutely no involvement is unprofessional, unethical and shameful. Dominique is devastated about the situation because those children came from the same neighborhood he did and he will continue to build up his community in any way he can.
Drew Findling
Marissa Goldberg
Findling Law Firm
Attorneys for Dominique Jones
What’s next:
The case remains under investigation as police work to determine whether additional arrests will be made. It is unknown if Lil Baby’s legal team plans to take further action against the police department.
