Charges dropped against Chicago rapper Lil Durk in 2019 shooting near the Varsity
All charges dropped against Chicago rapper Lil Durk in 2019 downtown shooting
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis dropped all charges against Chicago Rapper Lil Durk in connection to a Jan. 2019 shooting near the Varsity restaurant in downtown Atlanta. FOX 5 Atlanta's Joi Dukes has the details.
ATLANTA - Charges against Chicago Rapper Lil Durk that stemmed from his involvement in a 2019 shooting near the Varsity in downtown Atlanta have been dropped according to Fulton County court documents.
Durk, whose real name is Derrick Banks, was facing several felony charges including: criminal attempt to commit murder, aggravated assault, participation in criminal street gang activity, possession of firearm during the commission of a felony, and possession of firearm by a convicted felon for his alleged role in the shooting alongside now-deceased rapper King Von.
RAPPER LIL DURK ARRESTED IN CONNECTION TO SHOOTING AT THE VARSITY
In May 2019, the rapper left touring early to turn himself in to the Fulton County Jail.
"For some reason they decided that Mr. Banks was involved since some of the people he affiliated were involved in the shooting. We strongly denied that," Banks’s Attorney Manny Arora told FOX 5 Atlanta.
Atlanta Police said the victim, whose name was not released, was shot in the leg after an argument between a group of people near the restaurant, and he rushed to Atlanta Medical Center for treatment.
A motion to dismiss charges filed on Oct. 17 said: "The facts of this case have been reviewed and although probable cause existed for the defendants arrest, the decision at this time is not to prosecute".
The DA’s office cited prosecutorial discretion as the cause for dismissal.
"Choosing not to [pursue charges] is essentially code for ‘we can’t prove our case’. Probable cause is an incredibly low standard…it’s not like reasonable doubt at trial," Arora explained.
He told FOX 5 while it took some time, he believes it was the right decision to make on the part of prosecutors.
"It took three years, he was never indicted, and our position has always been while he was present, he didn’t do any of the shooting, and he wasn’t involved in it."
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JULY 30: Lil Durk performs on day 3 of Lollapalooza at Grant Park on July 30, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Scott Legato/Getty Images) (Getty Images)
Arora said they’re now considering trying to get the charges expunged from Banks’s record. We reached out to the Fulton DA’s office for more insight on the decision not to pursue charges any further. We’re still waiting to hear back.