A man was found guilty by a jury in Los Angeles on Wednesday, his 17-year-old son to kill the rapper PnB Rock.
Freddie Trone, 42, was found guilty on several counts, including murder, two counts of second-degree robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery, after the Philadelphia hip-hop star was shot and killed in September 2022.
The rapper was eating at a Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles restaurant in Los Angeles with his girlfriend, the mother of his four-year-old child, when the teenager – wearing a ski mask – entered the restaurant, demanded the artist’s jewelry and opened fire.
According to local media reports, the police stole items from the victim and then fled in a waiting getaway car, which Trone is said to have driven.
PnB suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead less than an hour later at a local hospital.
During the trial, prosecutors argued that the teenager acted on his father’s orders, while Trone’s defense attorneys said he was merely an accomplice to the crimes.
The teenager, now 19, was also arrested for murder and robbery in this case, but according to local media, he has not yet been declared fit to stand trial.
A third man, Tremont Jones, was charged in the case and found guilty of two counts of second-degree robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery.
Sentencing for Jones and Trone is scheduled for August 27.
During Trone’s trial, Assistant District Attorney Timothy Richardson told jurors that Trone drove his son to steal expensive jewelry in a “coordinated effort,” citing “half a million dollars’ worth of jewelry” as his motive, Fox 11 in Los Angeles reported.
Prosecutors said Jones saw the rapper at the restaurant and passed on information to Trone about what jewelry the artist was wearing, the outlet reported.
Trone’s defense attorneys argued he was not present and did not tell his son or anyone else what to do. His attorney claimed prosecutors focused on the wrong person and said race played a role in his conviction, Fox 11 reported.
“Justice has been served for Mr. Allen and his family. They endured unimaginable pain in losing a loved one to such senseless violence,” District Attorney Gascón said Wednesday after the convictions.
“This should send a clear message to anyone who threatens the safety and well-being of our community: Our agency will pursue prosecutions and work tirelessly to bring perpetrators to justice.”
The rapper’s girlfriend, Stephanie Sibounheuang, told PnB saved her life in the incidentwho wrote on Instagram after the attack: “I shouldn’t be here, but (because of) him I am.”
She described the traumatic aftermath of the shooting. She was unable to ride with him in the ambulance and was forced out of the restaurant while police investigated.
“I feel so empty,” she wrote after the attack. “My world is dark now. My heart breaks for the children.”
PnB, whose real name is Rakim Hasheem Allen, rose to fame with the release of his hit “Selfish” in 2016 and has collaborated with artists such as Ed Sheeran.
Following his death, PnB received numerous tributes, including from artists such as Drake, who posted a photo of the two together on his Instagram story.
Rapper Offset posted a tribute on Twitter asking his followers to pray for PnB’s two children. Nicki Minaj described working with him as “a joy.”
PnB Rock was formed in Philadelphia in 1991 and recorded two studio albums: Catch These Vibes and Trapstar Turnt PopStar.
Just two days before the shooting, he released his last song, Luv Me Again.
