Gunna’s Saturday night performance at Harbor NYC Club turned deadly when an alleged Crips member was fatally shot just blocks from the Midtown venue as hundreds of concertgoers flooded the streets around 4 A.M. Sunday morning.
The 39-year-old victim, whose identity remains withheld pending family notification, suffered gunshot wounds to his back and groin before collapsing near the club, according to The New York Post.
Emergency responders rushed him to Mt. Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police continue searching for the shooter.
The Atlanta rapper, whose real name is Sergio Kitchens, had performed at Madison Square Garden earlier that evening before taking the stage at Harbor NYC Club.
Law enforcement sources confirmed the shooting victim was allegedly affiliated with the Crips street gang. This incident adds another layer of controversy to Gunna‘s already complicated relationship with gang allegations.
Court documents from his 2022 YSL RICO case accused the rapper of Crips membership, claims his legal team vehemently denied.
The YSL trial became one of Hip-Hop’s most watched legal proceedings, with Gunna and label founder Young Thug facing racketeering charges alongside other YSL associates. Prosecutors alleged YSL operated as both a record label and a criminal street gang.
In December 2022, Gunna accepted an Alford plea deal, allowing him to maintain innocence while acknowledging prosecutors had sufficient evidence for a conviction.
His plea statement included admitting “YSL is a music label and a gang” and that he had “personal knowledge that members or associates of YSL have committed crimes in furtherance of the gang.”
The plea deal immediately sparked widespread “snitch” allegations, with fellow artists and fans accusing Gunna of cooperating with authorities, despite his legal team’s insistence that he had not testified against co-defendants.
Gunna addressed the controversy in his 2023 track “Bread and Butter,” rapping about the accusations while maintaining his innocence. However, the damage to his reputation persisted, with many industry peers distancing themselves from the College Park native.
The relationship between Gunna and Young Thug remains fractured following the plea deal. Recent leaked phone calls revealed Young Thug’s disappointment with his former protégé’s decision, though both artists have avoided direct public confrontation.
Harbor NYC Club, which opened in 2021, has hosted performances by major Hip-Hop acts, including 50 Cent. The venue made headlines weeks earlier when Meek Mill was detained after security suspected he was carrying a weapon.
No gun was found during the subsequent police search.
The NYPD has not released any suspect descriptions or potential motives for the shooting. Gunna’s representatives have yet to issue a statement.