PnB Rock killing: Teen and his mom in custody as police search for third suspect
Los Angeles, California - A teenage boy and a woman are in custody in the killing of rapper PnB Rock, who was gunned down two weeks ago at Roscoe’s House of Chicken & Waffles in Los Angeles, police confirmed to the LA Times on Wednesday.
Authorities are searching for a third suspect, identified as the boy’s father, whom they describe as armed and dangerous.
LAPD Capt. Kelly Muniz said a federal task force arrested two people in Lawndale on Tuesday in Rock’s slaying. A minor was arrested on suspicion of murder, and Shauntel Trone (38) was arrested on suspicion of accessory to murder. A third suspect, Freddie Lee Trone (40), remains at large, Muniz said.
A law enforcement source told the Times that the murder suspect is the 17-year-old son of Freddie Trone.
Shauntel Trone had been arrested on a misdemeanor charge by Culver City police four days after the fatal shooting of the rapper, according to Los Angeles County sheriff’s jail booking records.
Freddie Trone’s photograph was released by investigators Wednesday in an effort to track him down and arrest him. Authorities believe Trone was involved in the rapper’s killing, which took place during a violent robbery inside the Manchester Avenue eatery on Sept. 12.
PnB Rock's death sparks sadness and outrage
In the attack at Roscoe’s, a gunman demanded jewelry and other valuables before getting into a struggle with PnB and opening fire, LAPD Chief Michel Moore said.
Moore said the shooting occurred soon after the rapper was tagged online as being at the restaurant, and police are investigating whether that is what prompted the attack. Police say such crimes linked to social media are rare, but are concerned about the number of guns on the streets being used by robbers targeting victims for high-end jewelry.
Rock, whose real name was Rakim Allen, had been at the restaurant with his girlfriend, who had posted a location-tagged photo in a since-deleted Instagram post. The shooting reignited discussion of the dangers of the real-time use of social media by celebrities who post about their locations and possessions, but TMZ cited sources who said Rock's suspected killer was already in the eatery parking lot when the post was made.
The killing sparked sadness and outrage among fans, as well as community activists.
Cover photo: FRAZER HARRISON / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP