Lawyer for Ludacris' manager Chaka Zulu responds to murder charge for Atlanta shooting
Ahmed Obafemi (Credit: Atlanta Police Department) (Supplied)
ATLANTA - A spokesperson for rapper Ludacris' manager has responded to him being charged with murder in connection with a June shooting in Atlanta.
Atlanta police homicide investigators have identified Chaka Zulu, whose real name is Ahmed Obafemi, as a suspect in a shooting that left one person dead, and two others - including himself - injured.
Obafemi is charged with murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, and simple battery after a late night shooting in Buckhead that he was also reported a victim of.
CHAKA ZULU, LONGTIME MANAGER FOR LUDACRIS, INJURED IN ATLANTA SHOOTING
Officials say Obafemi turned himself in at the Fulton County Jail Sept. 13, but was bonded out the same day.
In a statement posted on Obafemi's Instagram, Gabe Banks, a lawyer for the longtime music executive, said that Obafemi was "disappointed" in the APD's decision to bring charges against him. Banks said evidence clearly shows Zulu — who was injured in the incident — "was forced to defend himself" while being attacked by at least four other people in the June incident.
On June 27, FOX 5 Atlanta reported three people confirmed shot in the parking lot of APT 4B late that Sunday night. Officers say one of those individuals died at the hospital.
In the first report, Atlanta police hadn't released any information on what led to the deadly shooting. None of the victims were named either.
In a second report that night, officers revealed that Obafemi was one of the people shot at 2293 Peachtree Road. They maintained anonymity for the other two involved.
"It is not lost on Mr. Zulu that someone lost his life, but had Mr. Zulu not lawfully defended himself, Mr. Zulu would have been killed that night," Banks said,
Obafemi is popularly known as ‘Chaka Zulu’, Atlanta-born rapper Ludacris' longtime manager. As a music executive, he started the independent record label "Disturbing tha Peace Records" back in 1998 with his brother Jeff Dixon and Christopher "Ludacris" Bridges. The record label was designed to give musicians from the "Dirty South" an opportunity to shine after being ignored by major labels. Ludacris was the first artist to be represented.
Banks’ statement said Obafemi defended himself with a firearm he is licensed to carry.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.