Five men tied to rapper Rod Wave landed behind bars after a shooting that injured four people on Easter Sunday.
Police said they arrested the rapper, whose real name is Rodarius Green, on a weapons charge Wednesday morning; however, he was detained based on inaccurate information and has since been released.
The five other men tied to the rapper were arrested in connection to the shooting that happened outside of the Sonic Sports Bar and Lounge located at 400 49th Street South on March 31.
Police said a large crowd had gathered outside the bar and four people were shot. Their injuries were said to be non-life-threatening.
“Mentally, they’re hurt. Mentally, this community is hurting because we are tired of the senseless shooting in our community,” St. Pete Police Chief Anthony Holloway said Wednesday.
Investigators identified two homes connected to the suspects in the shooting, one in St. Pete and another in Manatee County. Officials said both homes were rented by Wave or one of his businesses.
On Monday evening, a SWAT team executed a search warrant at one of the homes, which is located at 526 Palm Avenue North in St. Pete. Two men were arrested on drug and weapons charges, but the suspected shooter was not found, according to police.
Three suspects linked to the shooting were eventually arrested early Wednesday morning by detectives in Manatee County who worked with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.
Kevontre Wesby, 21, was arrested for attempted second-degree murder, carrying a concealed firearm, and delinquent in possession of a firearm.
Keith Wesby, 22, and 24-year-old Christopher Atkins were arrested for attempted second-degree murder, authorities said.
On Thursday morning, St. Petersburg police announced that two more suspects turned themselves in at the Pinellas County Jail.
Elias Torres, 33, was charged with principal to attempted second-degree murder, and Willie Cookinson, 24, was charged with attempted second-degree murder and felon in possession.
“These individuals fired into the crowd; at the scene, we recovered over 60 casings,” Assistant Chief Michael Kovacsev said.
Police said multiple items were seized during the investigation, including five rifles, five handguns, ammunition, over $10,000, and miscellaneous pieces of jewelry.
Since March 22, police said they’ve been investigating a “violent group” involved in drug trafficking and shootings in St. Petersburg. The group identifies themselves as the “YG’s” or “Young Gangsters,” and several members have been seen with rapper Rod Wave since last summer.
“One of the reasons why this came together so quickly is because of the hard work we’ve been putting into this for the past year,” Kovacsev said.
Police said three men arrested in connection with the shooting can be linked to the YG’s and had been living in homes and driving vehicles that are registered in Wave’s name or his record label’s name.
An investigation into the shooting is ongoing.
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Source: wfla
