Takeoff’s family is one step close to getting justice as Houston Police announced a major breakthrough in the case.
Houston Police Department Chief Troy Finner revealed in a press conference on Friday that they arrested Patrick Xavier Clark, 33, and charged him with murder, CNN reported. As previously reported, Cameron Joshua, 22, was also arrested and charged with a crime unrelated to Takeoff’s murder. Joshua, also known as Lil Cam, is facing charges of unlawful carrying of a weapon. He was rumored to be a suspect in the killing of the Migos rapper, but his lawyer denied the claims saying he was not the one who fired the fatal shot.
Takeoff was killed on November 1 in Houston, Texas, after what was initially reported as a shooting over a dice game. Police have not made an arrest as yet or named a suspect, but a week ago, several blogs online claimed that Lil Cam was Takeoff’s alleged killer as they referenced his recent charges for illegal possession of weapons.
Lil Cam, whose real name is Cameron Joshua, was slapped with a charge of felony unlawful carry of a weapon on November 22. According to prosecutors at his recent court hearing, the 16-year-old rapper was spotted on surveillance footage outside of the bowling alley brandishing a gun when the shooting occurred.
Lil Cam is said to be among the group of people that were hanging with J. Prince Jr.’s Mob Ties Records crew that was at the crime scene the night Takeoff was killed.
Despite the prosecution’s claim, the D.A.’s office has not said whether they had plans to charge Lil Cam for the shooting.
“We believe Cameron Joshua has been appropriately charged in this case,” lead prosecutor Matt Gilliam said after a court hearing this week. “And we’re continuing our investigation into the death of TakeOff.”
In the meantime, Christopher Downey, the lawyer representing Lil Cam, said his client was not responsible for Takeoff’s death as he addressed the reports online.
“I haven’t seen anything to suggest that Cameron Joshua had anything to do with the shooting, that he discharged a firearm that caused [TakeOff’s] death or was he even involved,” Downey said. “My understanding is there was some type of skirmish,” he added.
The lawyer added that his client is alleged to have had a gun when the shooting took place and a witness statement said he had been identified as having a firearm with allegations claiming that he was seen re-racking his weapon.
His lawyer confirmed that he was at the event where Takeoff was shot, but the lawyer highlighted that legally there is a difference between carrying a gun and shooting as he stressed his client’s innocence.
In the meantime, Lil Cam was on bond for a previous matter of possessing a fake ID. His bond was revoked, and he remains in custody until a decision is made about his freedom at a bond hearing next week.
The lawyer also hinted that his client may “decide to” later give information about the actual shooter, but he did not go further to explain his statement.
“I’ve talked to him. He wants bond. He wants to get out. He wants to clear his name. We will discuss [who the shooter is] with the DA.s office if he decides to,” the lawyer told reporters when asked if he knew who shot Takeoff.
In the meantime, Houston Police Chief Troy Finner last month promised that said he had promised Takeoff’s family to ensure that the family gets justice for the senseless killing.
He also responded to critics who lamented the slow progress of the investigation, saying he does not want to send family members for a roller coaster ride and then potentially have to clear up inaccurate information.
