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Rapper Kenny Clutch Killed in Las Vegas Shooting

The aspiring Oakland rapper was gunned down in a predawn drive-by.

The Las Vegas strip appears to be the site of another hip hop murder case. Over 15 years after Tupac Shakur was shot on the strip in a drive-by shooting, aspiring rapper Kenneth Cherry Jr., a.k.a Kenny Clutch, is one of three left dead after a shootout and multiple vehicle crash on Thursday (February 21).

Police described the deadly incident as a rolling gun battle between Cherry, a local rapper from Oakland, and someone in a Range Rover SUV, who fled the scene. Authorities have yet to release the names of the victims but the Las Vegas Review Journal newspaper and KLAS-TV both identified Cherry as one of the dead. The 27-year-old rapper has been seen driving the luxury sports car in many of the YouTube videos that made him a local rap figure in the Bay.

During the shootout Cherry’s Maserati reportedly crashed into a taxi cab at the busy intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard and Flamingo Road. The cab exploded into flames, killing both the driver and a passenger near the famous Bellagio and Caesars Palace hotels.

Cherry’s attorney, Vicki Greco, told Reuters that his family and friends are "devastated" by the news but that she has not been officially informed that it was indeed her former client in the car. "I have not been to the coroner ... From what I have heard, yes, I can confirm. But I haven't been officially notified," Greco said.

Investigators believe the shooting may have stemmed from a fight at the Aria Resort and Casino, but they have not established a motive. Clark County Sheriff Douglas Gillespie told press that police had few leads on the whereabouts of the Range Rover and described its occupants as "armed and dangerous.” Authorities have launched a multi-state search and are requesting help from the public.

 

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(Photo: Kenny Clutch/Facebook)

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