Weapons & Guns

The brother of ex-NFL star Aqib Talib, Yaqub Talib, has pled guilty to murder ... stemming from his role in the shooting of a youth football coach last summer.

A rep for the Dallas County District Attorney's Office tells TMZ Sports ... Yaqub entered the plea this week -- agreeing to be sentenced to 37 years in prison.

Formal sentencing for the 40-year-old has been slated for August 7, the rep said.

Yaqub was initially accused of pulling out a firearm and shooting Michael Hickmon following an argument at an Aug. 13, 2022 youth football game involving a team that the Talib brothers were helping coach.

According to a lawsuit against the Talibs filed by Hickmon's family, the Talib brothers had gotten upset with Hickmon -- who was helping coach the opposing team -- over a call on the field ... and abruptly ended the game.

When Hickmon then went to retrieve the game ball -- he was allegedly "confronted" by Aqib, who, according to the lawsuit, threw a punch.

Hickmon's family said in their suit that after Hickmon "defensively backpedaled," Yaqub then pulled out a handgun and fired five shots -- striking Hickmon with several bullets. Hickmon later died at a local hospital.

The alleged altercation was captured on cell phone video by bystanders.

An attorney for Aqib said in a statement following the confrontation, "Aqib was present when this unfortunate incident occurred and is very distraught and devastated over this terrible loss of life. He would like to convey his condolences to the family of the victim and to everyone who witnessed this unfortunate tragedy."

The five-time Pro Bowler -- who starred for the Buccaneers, Broncos, Patriots and Rams in his career -- has not been charged criminally over his alleged role in the incident.

A mass shooting broke out in New Zealand near where the U.S. women's national soccer team is gearing up for this week's World Cup ... but, thankfully, officials for the squad said all of its players and staffers are safe.

According to New Zealand police, gunshots initially rang out on Wednesday morning at a construction site in Auckland's CBD -- just a few miles from where the USWNT and other countries are slated to compete in the prestigious soccer tournament.

Police said a shooter opened fire inside the site at around 7:22 AM ... and then continued moving through the building while repeatedly discharging his gun.

Cops say when they arrived on scene, officers attempted to engage the gunman ... who had barricaded himself inside of an elevator shaft.

"Further shots were fired from the male," cops said in a statement ... "he was located deceased a short time later."

Authorities say two people -- plus the suspect -- died during the incident. Several others, they added, were injured.

The USWNT said in a statement following the tragedy that "all of our USWNT players and staff are accounted for and safe."

"Our security team is in communication with local authorities," team officials continued, "and we are proceeding with our daily schedule."

New Zealand officials added that while the situation was "alarming," they believe the incident "has been contained and is an isolated" one.

"We can also advise that this is not a national security risk," they said.

The World Cup is slated to kick off in Auckland on Thursday ... when New Zealand takes on Norway at Eden Park.

ABC will not edit out Jason Aldean's controversial hit, "Try That in a Small Town," on Wednesday's "CMA Fest," but viewers will not see a frame of the music video ... sources tell TMZ.

"CMA Fest" was filmed between June 8th and 11th at various venues in Nashville. Aldean was one of the headliners, who sang the song that was rising on the charts.

The song has become a lightning rod because of the lyrics combined with the newly-released music video, with images of Black Lives Matter protests, flag burning, and aggression toward police. The music video was also shot outside the same courthouse where there was a brutal lynching years ago. Folks on social media have ripped Aldean, claiming his song is a right-wing dog whistle.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ, ABC will air Aldean's performance but none of the music video will appear in the show. For the record, the music video was released after the festival. ABC could have used the music video in the show open or promos, but our sources say the network has taken a hard pass on that.

Aldean has defended the song, saying it has nothing to do with BLM but rather it's an anthem honoring neighbors helping each other in small towns.

Clearly, not everyone's buying it, but enough people are to propel the song to #1 on iTunes.

The home cops raided in Vegas this week in connection with the unsolved Tupac murder belongs to the wife of a guy who says he was in the car with a man who shot and killed the late rapper.

TMZ has confirmed the address where Vegas Metro executed a search warrant Monday night ... it's owned by a woman named Paula Clemons -- who's married, we've learned, to Keefe D.

Folks familiar with Tupac lore know exactly who Keefe D is -- he's a former Crip, and for years now he's been doing interviews claiming to be the uncle of the late Orlando Anderson ... who's been suspected, at least on the streets, to have been the shooter.

Orlando and his crew -- including Keefe -- were in Vegas that night ... and Orlando was actually jumped by Tupac, Suge Knight and other Death Row affiliates at the MGM Grand. It's an altercation that was caught on surveillance video ... and many thought Orlando might have orchestrated a revenge shooting after the Mike Tyson fight that night. FWIW, Orlando himself had denied any involvement before he was killed in a shootout himself.

As for Paula, she also owned a home in Compton in the '90s ... what's interesting, in 1998, the L.A. County Sheriff's Dept. recovered a gun in the backyard of a Compton home ... a home the Sheriff's Dept. said belonged to the girlfriend of known Crip who was in Vegas the night of the murder.

As we reported, cops raided Paula's Henderson, Nevada home Monday. The reason the raid is significant is because, to obtain that warrant, police had to show a judge there was probable cause to believe there was evidence in the home connected to Tupac's murder.

Cops are not saying what they recovered from Paula's Henderson home.

We covered it all on the latest of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.

The son of "Good Times" star John Amos is behind bars for allegedly sending threatening texts -- including images of guns -- to John's daughter ... the latest chapter in a family war over the actor's health.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, John's son, K.C., was busted last weekend after his sister, Shannon, claimed he sent her a slew of concerning texts, which she says made her fear for her life.

Shannon told West Orange, NJ police her brother texted about his supposed gang affiliations, showing a handgun and a rifle. She claims he also sent her videos of him firing a handgun in an open field, and wrote, "Gonna sleep much better tonight big sis."

According to Robert Florida, a spokesperson for the Essex County Prosecutor's Office ... Shannon said K.C. suffers from bipolar disorder, which has led him to believe she hired someone to kill him -- and now she's worried he might retaliate.

As we reported, Shannon started a GoFundMe last month for her father John, claiming he's been the victim of elder abuse.

However, John told us his daughter's lying, and he's not sure why she started the fundraiser. GoFundMe scrubbed the page after the "Roots" actor declined the cash.

After that mess, Shannon said K.C. no longer has authority to make medical decisions for John -- and she's sent him a cease and desist letter regarding online comments he's made about her.

There's apparently some new life in the investigation into who killed legendary rapper Tupac Shakur ... as Las Vegas cops descended on a home in connection to the murder.

Detectives from the Las Vegas Metro PD served a search warrant Tuesday at a home in Henderson, Nevada ... about 20 miles away from the LV city limits. Cops were brief in the details surrounding the search, only adding it was, "part of the ongoing Tupac Shakur homicide investigation."

Law enforcement sources confirm to us the home was in the area of Interstate 11 and Wagon Wheel Drive but, as of now, no arrests have been made.

Pac died on September 13, 1996, after being shot multiple times just off the Las Vegas Strip.

The "All Eyez On Me" rapper's afterlife spawned one of the biggest-selling music careers, not to mention one of the biggest fandoms ... but his family just wants closure.

Ohio State freshman receiver Carnell Tate's mother was tragically killed in a shooting on Sunday. She was just 40 years old.

Law enforcement says the fatal incident happened around 2 AM in the Garfield Park neighborhood in Chicago ... where a woman was shot multiple times in an alleged drive-by.

The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital ... where she, unfortunately, succumbed to her injuries. She was later identified as Ashley Griggs, Tate's mother.

Four others, aged 38 to 42, were also injured in the shooting. Reports say they are in fair condition.

Chicago PD says one of the injured victims claimed the shooter was "traveling in a vehicle at the time of the shooting."

Tate -- a Chicago native -- moved to Florida to play at IMG Academy, where he averaged 20.3 yards during his senior year in 2022. He was 247Sports' 22nd-ranked player in the country.

The 4-star prospect committed to OSU that December ... and is considered one of the best incoming freshman receivers.

Ashley was excited about Tate's upcoming season -- in fact, one of Griggs' last posts was about his No. 17 Buckeyes jersey going up for sale online.

G Herbo might not be facing a gun possession case right now, if it weren't for the simplest of traffic infractions ... at least, according to the cops who busted the "PTSD" rapper.

Chicago police tell us Herbo was pulled over in a vehicle that had failed to display a turn signal in traffic ... and it was during that July 9 stop that cops say they found a Glock 33 in the car.

We also got a hold of Herbo's latest mugshot, and he looks either perplexed or amused over the situation. Let's face it, having a perfectly good Sunday Funday ruined over jail time is guaranteed to dampen your mood.

As we previously reported, Herbo didn't spend long behind bars and was later released on bond.

Lil Tjay says his comeback is officially complete ... the Bronx-bred rapper just popped the lid off his first project since being shot multiple times a little over a year ago.

We spoke with Tjay near Times Square at his "222" album release party last night -- and he's extremely confident that he's returned to the top of his rap game.

Tjay's team transformed the Brooklyn Chop House into a soiree dedicated to the "222" project, where Tjay took pics, rapped for fans and kicked it with Fivio Foreign -- who was in the building to support his friend.

The project also sports features from Jadakiss, NBA YoungBoy, The Kid LAROI, Summer Walker, and Coco Jones.

Tjay predicts fans will receive the music very well ... it's been over 2 years since he had a new project and his fate was hanging in the balance this time last year.

TMZ Hip Hop broke the story at the time ... Tjay was shot 7 times on June 22, forcing him into emergency surgery, and he's even had some legal drama amid getting this album out.

He created "222" out of sentiment ... it stands for the time on the clock Tjay says he saw when he was airlifted to the hospital after being shot.

Boxing star Devin Haney was arrested on Thursday morning following a night out in Hollywood ... after cops say they found a semi-automatic handgun in his car during a routine traffic stop.

The 30-0 fighter -- who's coming off a huge win over Vasiliy Lomachenko -- was out at Catch L.A. on Wednesday ... when just minutes after he left the hotspot around midnight, law enforcement tells TMZ Sports cops pulled over his ride due to an unsafe lane change and a failure to use turn signal.

According to authorities, Haney was not driving ... but the person who was told officers during the stop there was a firearm inside of the ride.

Cops say they then got Haney and his security out of the car ... and when they searched the vehicle, they say they found a semi-automatic handgun under the driver's seat.

Law enforcement tells us ... no one took ownership of the gun -- and since the car was registered to Haney, he was arrested and booked for felony possession of a concealed weapon.

Jail records show he was released at 8:12 AM Thursday on $35,000 bail. He's due in court for a hearing on the matter next month.

Haney has become one of the biggest stars in boxing ... after recording impressive wins in the last couple years over Loma, George Kambosos Jr., Joseph Diaz Jr. and Yuriorkis Gamboa.

Leslie Van Houten is likely to kill again after being released from prison -- so says Sharon Tate's sister ... who's deeply offended California cut loose the former Charles Manson follower.

Debra Tate tells TMZ that she's disappointed in the criminal justice system in the state, and especially the governor's office ... which she thinks really dropped the ball in not fighting harder against Van Houten's release.

While Gov. Gavin Newsom said he isn't happy with the decision handed down by the Court of Appeals -- siding with the parole board releasing Van Houten -- he also said he wasn't going to push back, arguing it was a losing effort.

Debra says Newsom could've taken it to a higher court, which is true, and she's taking his surrender as a huge slap in the face to the families of Manson's victims.

As far as how those loved ones feel about Van Houten being a free woman again ... well, she tells us they're absolutely terrified because there's a fear she could resort to her killing ways again in a heartbeat.

Clearly, Debra doesn't buy the parole board's belief Van Houten's rehabilitated. Her rationale boils down to the nature of the crime itself, and the mindset Van Houten was once under. She says once somebody goes down that dark path, in her eyes, it's easy to go back.

Now, while Van Houten wasn't involved in the Tate murders -- remember, it was the LaBiancas she helped butcher -- she's publicly said she really wanted to be present for the slayings of Sharon and 3 friends.

Debra finds that very troubling, and says that's why she has every right to weigh in here.

She adds ... the victims' families are outraged Van Houten gets to live out the rest of her life outside of prison -- despite a life sentence they assumed would be imposed forever more.

Debra's been leading a charge to keep all the Manson family members locked up, with an ongoing online petition she's maintained for a while now.

A man claiming to have a gun is barricaded in a hotel room at Caesars Palace, holding a woman against her will, and chucking large items through a window ... and now, SWAT's on the scene.

Cops say this started Tuesday morning with a call for possible domestic violence at the famed casino resort. When officers arrived, they say the man bolted into a room as they were trying to make contact -- he told them he wasn't coming out. Not just that, but he said he was armed.

BTW, Metro PD says he's not in there by himself ... the guy yanked a woman into the room with him before things went south -- and now, he's shattered windows as he throws items out of his room ... which is on a high floor. One reported object that's come down is a chair.

The authorities are telling people to clear the area or to take cover ... and there are videos and photos circulating online showing guests and passersby doing just that, hiding in fear.

Considering the man might have a weapon on him, and could start firing out the windows ... the police have called in SWAT officers who are getting into position throughout the area. A crisis negotiating team is also on site.

Police say no shots have been fired yet.

Of course, what comes to mind here is the 2017 Las Vegas massacre ... where Stephen Paddock opened fire from a hotel room in the Mandalay Bay Hotel during a music festival, killing dozens of people and injuring hundreds of others.

Eerie police body cam footage has emerged from the response to the home of NASCAR superstar Jimmie Johnson's in-laws ... revealing his mother-in-law shot herself just as officers arrived.

In the video, obtained by TMZ, officers approach the home of Dr. Jack Janway and his wife, Terry Janway. Cops observe Jack through a window, deceased from a gunshot wound and covered with a blanket. They open the front door, announce their presence and another gunshot is heard from inside the home.

Cops say that shot was from Terry, who died by suicide. Her body was discovered on the couch. Terry also shot and killed their grandson, Dalton, whose body was found under a blanket in one of the home's bedrooms.

TMZ broke the story ... officers from the Muskogee Police Department in Oklahoma raced to the home June 26 after a female called to report someone with a gun.

Jimmie and his wife, Chandra, have yet to make a public statement about the tragic incident ... but Jimmie was scheduled to race in a NASCAR Cup event in Chicago just days later. He withdrew from the event.

Leslie Van Houten -- a former member of the Manson family -- has been released from prison after more than 4 decades behind bars.

The convicted murderer walked out of a California facility Tuesday after successfully receiving parole earlier in the month ... this after Gov. Gavin Newsom said he would not challenge her release, despite doing so 3 different times throughout his tenure as Governor.

Van Houten was convicted of 2 counts of first-degree murder and one count of conspiracy to commit murder way back in 1971 for her involvement in the grisly 1969 LaBianca murders here in Los Angeles ... when Leno and Rosemary LaBianca were stabbed to death at their home. Van Houten said she held Rosemary down while someone else stabbed her, and later admitted she stabbed her as well after Rosemary was dead.

In the years since her conviction ... Van Houten's attorneys have said she was young and brainwashed by her cult leader, Charles Manson, at the time -- arguing she had been rehabilitated.

More importantly, Van Houten's lawyers have said she does not pose a threat to society anymore ... and it seems a handful of parole boards agreed with that, signing off on recommendations that she oughta be released, in spite of her life sentence.

Like we said, Newsom has shot her down time and again ... with his argument being, the nature of her crime should prevent her from ever enjoying a free life. But, after his last rejection ... she appealed his decision in court, and they ended up siding with her.

The governor's office said trying to fight it was a losing effort, so they were going to drop it.

Now, at age 73 ... Van Houten's back on the outside, and it'll be interesting to see what she does going forward. At first, she'll be sent to a halfway house where she'll learn basic skills and get up to date on all the new technology that's come out since she was imprisoned.

Van Houten is said to have been a constructive prisoner over the years, having found faith and showing an eagerness to teach/learn. She's also expressed remorse about her role in the murders.

Gunna appears to be having the last laugh at critics who thought his plea deal in the YSL trial killed his career.

The newest Billboard Hot 100 update showed Gunna's latest album single "Fukumean" planted at #8 -- his first Top 10 as a solo artist!!!

Gunna's been mostly mum on social media, but he did plenty of celebrating while shooting the "Fukumean" music video.

The visual features him doing it big on a yacht with friends, girls, and plenty of party favors ... y'know, all the finer things freedom has to offer.

Folks like Boosie Badazz might hate to see it, as some artists have been vocal about feeling like Gunna sold out Young Thug to save his own skin in the YSL RICO case.

Lady Gaga just won a legal case over her huge dog reward offer that a woman was trying to claim -- 'cause a judge just told her ... ya can't have your stolen cake and eat it too.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, a judge tossed Jennifer McBride's lawsuit against the singer ... in which she was attempting to get a court to force Gaga to fork over a $500k reward that she promised to anyone who helped recover her stolen pets in 2021.

The judge said one major problem with McBride's lawsuit -- she was actually convicted in connection to that crime ... namely, pleading no contest to knowingly receiving stolen property.

Hizzoner makes it clear in the ruling -- saying allowing McBride to pursue the claims "would allow her to benefit from her admitted wrongdoing."  Lady Gaga has called it ridiculous ... now, a court agrees. AKA, uh ... duh!  The judge did say McBride would have 20 days to try to amend the complaint, but it's not clear how she could find a way around the ruling.

You'll recall ... Gaga's 2 Frenchies were jacked in plain sight out in Hollywood -- being taken at gunpoint, no less, and with some injury sustained by LG's dog walker, Ryan Fischer. He was shot at the time and hospitalized, but eventually (and thankfully) made a full recovery.