Kriti Mehrotra
With ‘Look at Me: XXXTentacion’ exploring the life and death of one of the most polarizing musicians in recent years, both his personal as well as professional experiences are back into the limelight. From his undeniable hard work to his mental health struggles and from his alleged violent tendencies to his horrific murder, each aspect is thus unbiasedly covered within this Hulu original. So now, if you wish to learn more about every single one of XXXTentacion’s alleged killers, their possible motives, and current legal standing, don’t worry; we’ve got the essential details for you.
Who Killed XXXTentacion? Why?
It was Monday, June 18, 2018, when XXXTentacion — real name Jahseh Onfroy — was gunned down in broad daylight just as he was leaving an upscale bike shop in Deerfield Beach, Florida. As per CCTV footage from around the area, as soon as X had started to drive away, an SUV blocked the path before two masked men jumped out, ran towards his black BMW, and “demanded property.” A tense struggle ensued, during which the 20-year-old sadly lost not only a Louis Vuitton bag containing $50,000 and his chain but also his life from multiple gunshot wounds right to the neck.
One of the suspects was wearing a white tank top and distinctive orange sandals, which helped the authorities positively identify him as 22-year-old Dedrick Devonshay Williams within two days. After all, he had recently shared pictures in a similar pair of sandals on his Instagram account, and the bike dealership employees also recognized him as the male who’d bought the masks just moments before the incident. Dedrick had initially denied having a hand in X’s homicide during interrogation, yet his narrative soon changed to admittance and remorse, according to Jonathan Reiss’ book ‘Look at Me!’
Therefore, not one or two but three others were soon officially named as people of interest by the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, with the alleged triggerman being 22-year-old Michael Boatwright. He was arrested on a few unrelated drug charges on July 5, 2018, only to face a murder count five days later — the officials believe he’d grabbed his rifle to open fire on X after the robbery was already over. More importantly, since Dedrick had been in a Probation Office at the same time as XXXTentacion earlier that year, they think the robbery-turned-murder was actually targeted instead of random.
On July 25, 2018, 22-year-old Robert Allen became the third suspect to be taken into custody, and then 20-year-old Trayvon Newsome was arrested for good on August 7. The latter was reportedly the one who’d exited the SUV with Michael to rob X at the possible behest of Dedrick, meaning he’s likely going to be held just as accountable as the alleged shooter. We should mention that Robert’s lawyers have since insisted he was “in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong people” and had no hand in the theft, let alone the homicide, but to no avail.
Where Are XXXTentacion’s Alleged Killers Now?
Having pled not guilty to the charges against them, all four of XXXTentacion’s alleged perpetrators are currently awaiting trial while behind bars at the main Broward County Jail (without bond). While Dedrick has four counts under his belt; dangerous and depraved first-degree murder, probation violation, driving without a valid license, and robbery with a deadly weapon, Trayvon has just two; premeditated first-degree murder and robbery with a deadly weapon.
On the other hand, Robert is facing four charges; premeditated first-degree murder, robbery with a deadly weapon, and two counts of felony probation violation. As for Michael Boatwright, he has racked up a total of 10 active counts owing to his alleged hand in both X’s murder and an unrelated drug case. They are; possession of under 20 grams of cannabis, possession of cocaine with the intent to sell, manufacture or deliver, two charges of probation violation, four charges of warrant vopretrial felony, premeditated first-degree murder, and robbery with a deadly weapon.
If convicted, they all face either life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty. We should mention that XXXTentacion’s father reportedly wants his son’s shooter to get capital punishment and the others to spend the rest of their lives incarcerated.
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