A rapper in the Los Angeles area was talking with a friend on Instagram Live when he was ambushed in front of viewers, his murder broadcast over the social media network.
Zerail Dijon Rivera, who performed under the name Indian Red Boy, was killed Thursday in Hawthorne. In a press release, the Hawthorne Police Department said they responded to a shooting call at a multi-level gated apartment complex on South Chadron Avenue to find “a 21-year-old male slumped in the front seat of a vehicle parked in the carport to the rear of the building.”
“He appeared to be suffering from multiple gunshot wounds,” officials added. “Los Angeles County Fire Rescue responded to the location where the male was pronounced deceased.”
Detectives are investigating Rivera’s death and are asking for assistance from the community to identify a suspect. In their press release, Hawthorne law enforcement shared a link to the young man’s murder. TheGrio is not sharing the footage due to its graphic nature.
In the captured video, at least 12 shots were fired.
Rivera’s friend, social media influencer Kapone, who was on the Instagram Live with him, can be heard asking, “What the f**k? Bro, what the f**k? Where you at?”
The targetted man — who has more than 35,000 followers on Instagram — is then seen mouthing “Help” repeatedly to the camera before whispering, “I’m in Hawthorne.” He dropped his camera seconds later, and the live stream ended.
“It appears to have been a walk-up shooting, and he appears to have been targeted,” Lt. Ti Goetz told The Daily Breeze.
The rapper’s death appears to be gang-related. Indian Red Boy claimed affiliation with the Bloods. Several videos on YouTube appear to show him disrespecting late rapper Nipsey Hussle, including one of him allegedly vandalizing a mural of the venerated MC. Hussle was known to be Crip-affiliated.
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