What was Young Dolph’s cause of death?
TRAGEDY struck Memphis in November of 2021 after a shooting took place at a local cookie shop.
Rapper Young Dolph was involved in a shooting at Makeda's Cookies that resulted in his untimely death.
When did the rapper Young Dolph die?
On Wednesday, November 17, 2021, rapper Young Dolph went to popular sweets shop Makeda's Cookies in Memphis, Tennessee, to purchase some baked goods.
Maurice Hill, the store's owner, told his employees said Young Dolph walked into the store to buy cookies.
The owner then claimed that someone drove up and shot inside the store, killing the rapper at around 1pm Wednesday afternoon.
According to police, a man was pronounced dead at the scene. They later confirmed the man to be Young Dolph.
Young Dolph’s notable camouflage Lamborghini was spotted in the parking lot of the bakery.
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"The tragic shooting death of rap artist Young Dolph serves as another reminder of the pain that violent crime brings with it," Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland said.
Local paper the Daily Memphian reported Young Dolph was in the city visiting family and giving out turkeys ahead of Thanksgiving.
His cousin, Mareno Myers, told the paper the rapper was inside the shop when "somebody just rolled up on him and took his life."
No information has been made available about the shooter at this point in time.
On Thursday, November 18, surveillance photos emerged from the scene showing the alleged suspects holding guns outside the store. They appeared to have face masks on.
Those with information on the shooting have been asked to call 901-528-CASH.
On January 5, 2022, almost two months after Dolph's death the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation tweeted the following regarding a suspect for the Dolph case.
"#TNMostWanted: We need your help to find Justin Johnson, wanted by @MEM_PoliceDept and TBI for 1st Degree Murder, Criminal Attempt-1st Degree Murder, & Theft of Property $10,000-$60,000. He should be considered armed & dangerous. Seen him? Call 901-378-3132 or 1-800-TBI-FIND."
"#TNMostWanted fugitive Justin Johnson is 23 years old, 5’8”, 190 lbs. He has black hair and brown eyes."
On Tuesday, March 15, The West Tennessee Medical Examiner ruled Young Dolph's death as a homicide
According to the report, the rapper was shot 22 times.
Who was rapper Young Dolph?
Born on July 27, 1985, Young Dolph was just 36 years old at the time of his death.
Young Dolph, whose real name was Adolph Robert Thornton Jr, was born in Chicago, Illinois.
He moved to Memphis, Tennessee with his family as a toddler and has credited the town as a source of his inspiration with the release of his debut studio album, King of Memphis, in 2016.
The album peaked at number 49 on the Billboard 200 chart and was followed by six more albums throughout his career.
In 2017, Young Dolph was shot at while he was in Charlotte, North Carolina.
He survived the incident and produced his second album, Bulletproof, as a result.
Later the same year, Young Dolph was shot three times outside of a hotel in Los Angeles, California.
He was left in critical condition but remained stable throughout his weeks in the hospital.
An active member of his community, Young Dolph was known for giving back to Memphis in various ways. He reportedly donated to his former school, Hamilton High School, giving over $25K in new sports equipment and supplies.
He also regularly handed out turkeys around Thanksgiving through the Memphis Athletic Ministries charity.
What are the reactions to the death of rapper Young Dolph?
Many tributes have begun flooding social media in the wake of the shooting of Young Dolph.
One user tweeted: "this man really came from nothing and worked hard asf @YoungDolph RIP KING! #YOUNGDOLPH".
Another user added:
"Rip @YoungDolph what a loss for all. Super talented and business savy young man. Just sad news. #ripyoungdolph";.
Chance the Rapper tweeted, "God bless Dolph. Real independent Memphis rapper born in chicago. loved by millions of ppl.";
"Always showed love everytime I seen him this is tragic God less his family man," he concluded.
Young Dolph was reportedly in a long term relationship with Mia Jaye, who is the mother of his children, Tre and Aria.
In a heartbreaking post in August, Mia Jaye shared statistics regarding the lifespan of Black men and the dangers they face in various communities.
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She wrote:
"...Black Men who are 20 times more likely than their other male counterparts, to die prematurely due to violent crime that happens within OUR community… I am advocating for these men to live out their Purpose and positively impact the Black Community. I am doing this for the Men in my family and Yours… so help me spread the word…"
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