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2 Suspects in custody, third suspect Sought in fatal shooting of rapper
Entertainment Sep 28, 2022
PnB Rock. | Photo courtesy of DeShaun Craddock/Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
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A woman and a 17-year-old boy were in custody Wednesday and a man believed to be the teen’s father was being sought in connection with the killing of rapper PnB Rock during a robbery at a restaurant earlier this month.
Shauntel Trone, 32, and a boy “under the age of 18” were arrested Tuesday, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Trone was arrested in Gardena and was booked on suspicion of being an accessory to murder. The boy was arrested in Lawndale and booked on suspicion of murder, police said. His name was not released due to his age.
The arrests were made by personnel from the LAPD and the FBI.
On Wednesday morning, police had said they were seeking a suspect named Freddie Lee Trone in connection with the killing. The relationship between the man and Shauntel Trone was not immediately specified, but media reports indicated the teen suspect is Freddie Trone’s 17-year-old son. ABC7 reported that Shauntel Trone is the teen suspect’s step-mother.
The 30-year-old rapper, born Rakim Allen, was shot about 1:25 p.m. Sept. 12 at Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles at 106 W. Manchester Ave., where he was eating lunch with his girlfriend.
Police said a male suspect walked up to the couple, drew a handgun, demanded PnB Rock’s jewelry, and shot him. The rapper died at a hospital.
“Freddie Lee Trone has been identified as being a person involved in the murder of Rakim Allen,” police said in a statement on Wednesday. “He should be considered armed and dangerous.”
Police did not release Trone’s age, however, previous jail records indicate he is 40 years old.
TMZ and Fox11 reported that Freddie Trone is believed to have been the getaway driver following the shooting, allegedly carried out by his teen son. TMZ reported that the pair later burned the vehicle they were in during the crime.
TMZ and Fox11 both reported that Trone and his son were already in the restaurant parking lot when PnB Rock arrived, contradicting earlier suggestions that social media posts by the rapper and his girlfriend showing his jewelry and tagging their location led to the robbery and shooting.
Witnesses said the suspect and the rapper argued during the heist, culminating in the shooting, which was captured on the restaurant’s video surveillance system.
The shooting and its apparent link with an Instagram post was reminiscent of the 2020 killing of rapper Pop Smoke in the Hollywood Hills. In that case, the rapper had made a series of social media posts revealing his location and valuables he had in his possession.
On Twitter, singer Nicki Minaj lamented PnB Rock’s killing, writing, “After Pop Smoke there’s no way we as rappers or our loved ones are still posting locations to our whereabouts. To show waffles & some fried chicken????! He was such a pleasure to work with. Condolences to his mom & family. This makes me feel so sick. Jesus.”
Anyone with information on Trone’s location was asked to call Detectives Nellie Knight or Matthew Clark at 323-786-5146 or Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).
