An 18-year-old man who was charged in the 2020 shooting of rapper Pop Smoke has admitted to killing him in a juvenile court hearing, according to a report from Los Angeles Times.
The hearing took place this past Friday (May 12), wherein the 18-year-old also admitted to home-invasion robbery along with allegations that he personally and intentionally discharged a firearm at the time. The man was 15 years old at the time, and is reportedly expected to serve time in a state juvenile facility until he turns 25.
During the hearing, L.A. County Superior Court Judge J. Christopher Smith told the 18-year-old and his 19-year-old co-defendant that Pop Smoke, whose real name was Bashar Jackson, “lost his life over no good reason.” The judge has issued an order for the names of the defendants who were minors at the time to be withheld.
“You have no right to take somebody’s life. You have no right to take somebody’s property,” Smith said, per City News Service.
Additionally, three other people were charged in the killing of Pop Smoke during the hearing, according to the Associated Press. A teenager, whose name was also ordered to be withheld by the media, as well as Corey Walker, who was 19 at the time, and Keandre Rodgers, who was then 18, were charged with murder during the commission of a robbery and burglary.