A man has come forward claiming to have been the alleged shooting victim of rapper A$AP Rocky.
The musician, 33, who recently welcomed his first child with girlfriend Rihanna, is due in court on August 17 over the alleged incident after being arrested in April, though he has not been charged.
Police took the star – real name Rakim Athelaston Mayers – into custody at the airport while LAPD officers searched his home at the same time.
It was reported at the time that Mayers and an accomplice got into an argument in Hollywood in November last year which escalated to gunfire, leading to the alleged victim’s hand being grazed by a bullet.
According to Rolling Stone, former A$AP Mob member Terell Ephron, aka A$AP Relli, has now come forward to claim he was shot by the musician.
Ephron, who was Mayers’ high school best friend, has reportedly gone public as he plans to ‘file a civil suit for assault, battery and emotional distress’ against the rapper.
The outlet received a statement from the alleged victim’s attorneys Jamal Tooson and Brian Hurwitz announcing the lawsuit.
In the statement, Ephron claims he was led to a location in central Hollywood by Mayers in order to ‘discuss a disagreement’ between them.
It alleges: ‘Unbeknownst to Mr. Ephron, A$AP Rocky was not just planning for a conversation and came armed with a semi-automatic handgun.’
The statement reportedly goes on to say that ‘without provocation, warning, or any justification, A$AP Rocky produced the handgun and intentionally fired multiple shots at Mr. Ephron.’
They also claim that the entire incident was captured by nearby surveillance cameras, which LAPD police also stated following Mayers’ arrest in April.
Ephron’s attorneys claim the former Mob member has suffered ‘multiple death threats and harm to his career’ after the incident, adding they expect the civil matter to go to trial.
The A$AP Mob was formed around 2006 by the late A$AP Yams, A$AP Bari, A$AP Illz and A$AP Kham, with A$AP Rocky joining later.
Ephron did not rap in the group, which is also involved in fashion and sports.
However he did appear in the group’s music videos, including in Mayers’ Purple Swag which was released in 2011.
During a police search of Mayers’ home in April, a number of guns were seized from the property, however reports at the time claimed they did not match the weapon used in the shooting.
Insiders also told TMZ that the firearms were fully registered and legally purchased.
While the LAPD kept the alleged victim’s identity private, it was reported at the time that the victim had accused Mayers of shooting at him up to four times, with one of the bullets grazing his left hand.
A police press release issued at the time stated that an ‘argument escalated and resulted in the suspect firing a handgun at the victim.
‘The suspect has been identified as 33-year-old Rakim Mayers, a Los Angeles resident, also known as music artist A$AP Rocky.’
They confirmed that LAPD officers ‘arrested Mayers for assault with a deadly weapon (firearm) at the Los Angeles International Airport. This case will be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for filing consideration.’
Mayers was released on a $550,000 (£421k) bail shortly after his arrest and has not been charged.
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Metro.co.uk has reached out to reps for A$AP Rocky for comment.
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