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An armed man, standing just feet away from Takeoff and Quavo moments before the fatal shots, is now a person of interest in the rapper's death ... TMZ has learned.

We obtained this video -- a new angle of what went down only seconds prior to the gunfire -- and you can see a man dressed in black, with a black satchel and a handgun in his right hip pocket.

You can very clearly see the weapon in the man's pocket -- he has his hand on it -- as Quavo was involved in the heated discussion that preceded the gunfire.

In fact, Quavo, in the bright orange shirt, walks behind the man 2 seconds before the first shot is fired.

Now, there's nothing in the video proving the man fired the first shot, but about 5 seconds later he is seen raising his weapon and seemingly firing it. It's unclear where Takeoff or Quavo were in relation to him at that moment.

Houston PD tells us they have seen this video, and have deemed the man a person of interest. They have not identified him yet.

As we reported, Takeoff was standing a few feet behind Quavo early Tuesday morning outside the Houston bowling alley when things got heated.

After the gunfire -- at least 10 shots were fired -- Takeoff had been hit in the head, and was pronounced dead on the scene.

Two other people suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Aaron Carter has certainly had his fair share of run-ins with cops ... but his latest one might be one of the more bizarre, and ended in the pop star clearing his name.

Law enforcement sources with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department tell TMZ ... deputies pulled the singer over Tuesday around 10:45 AM while he was driving an RV, after they got a call about a driver weaving in traffic and possibly driving under the influence.

Officers say they didn't even know the guy was Aaron Carter until they pulled him over. Once they did, we're told they conducted field sobriety tests and determined Aaron wasn't under the influence.

We're told it was a very windy day in the Antelope Valley ... which, possibly made it easier for the RV to get blown around and cross over the traffic lines.

You can see in the pics, Carter locked his keys in the RV and had to access the vehicle through a roof hatch.

Our sources say, it's not clear who made the 911 call but did note Aaron's off-again GF Melanie Martin, was driving behind him at the time in a white Range Rover.

Aaron posted on Instagram about the incident, saying "When you do the right thing, you don't get in trouble. Do the right thing, that's what you do."

As we've told you ... cops recently showed up at his house for a welfare check after fans got worried he might have been doing drugs on IG live. He later said it was all a joke and police found no drugs or criminal activity when they arrived.

Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson have moved on -- at least for the time being -- from being a couple ... and are not still in communication, despite some recent reports.

Sources close to the former pair tell us stories that Pete's been reaching out to Kim in light of Kanye's latest episodes are flat-out false. In fact, we're told the two have not seen each other or been in communication at all lately.

Our sources say Kim and Pete would remain friendly if they came face to face, there's no bad blood, but each has their own things going on right now ... Kim with her work and kids and Pete with various movie and TV projects.

As for whether or not the two will ever get back together as a couple -- we're told that scenario is "highly unlikely."

It was back in August when we reported Kim and Pete were calling it quits after dating for 9 months. During their relationship, we saw them date bi-coastal while Pete got closer to Kim's 4 kids, they attended big events together and shared cute pics through social media.

Kim has not been dating anyone, at least publicly, since the split ... and we're told her attention has fully been on her kids while Kanye West continues to fall from public favor after his antisemitic rants, dragging of George Floyd and his family as well as wearing a "White Lives Matter" shirt.

The head of Takeoff's label wants his fans, the public and hip hop, in general, to take one thing from his death ... violence isn't the way to go when things get heated.

Pierre "Pee" Thomas, CEO of Quality Control, posted an emotional message late Tuesday night ... starting by saying anyone who knows them "knows how much I love you" -- noting the 28-year-old's death was incredibly unexpected.

Pee says the loss should remind everyone how valuable life is and adds, "I want our community to remember that we don’t have to continue to result to violence every time there is a disagreement. It’s ok to love your brother and sister."

Pee's message, largely written directly to Takeoff, ends with this heartfelt statement -- "You came from the stars so I know you will forever be up there watching down on all of us. I will forever love you. 💔."

As we reported, Quality Control co-founder Kevin Lee -- AKA Coach K -- suggested Takeoff was killed by a stray bullet. Police have yet to confirm that theory, but video TMZ obtained does prove Takeoff was not involved in the heated discussion that preceded the gunfire.

The face-off went down around 2:30 AM Tuesday, immediately after Quavo was having an argument with an unknown group of guys. While it's hard to make out what's being said exactly, Quavo's tone seemed to be let's just keep the peace and keep things moving.

Disney and 2-time EGOT winner Robert Lopez are being taken to court by a songwriter that claims his 2001 track was stolen and used in "Frozen 2" ... and he allegedly came to the conclusion while in the theater with his kid.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, musician Daniel Grigson first heard the song "Some Things Never Change" while watching "Frozen 2" in theaters at the end of November 2019 ... and as the song was being performed, he says he got up out of his seat in shock.

The docs say the track's beat, rhythm, feel, theme, and words caught him off guard -- because Grigson claims it's basically IDENTICAL to his song, "That Girl," from decades ago.

Grigson says his eyes were wide open while standing in the theater -- once he sat back down with his head in his hands, he claims his 11-year-old daughter leaned over to him and said, "Dad, Disney took your song."

Grigson says he hired an analyst to compare the 2 tracks -- coming to the conclusion that not only do the songs sound alike, but both are also similar on a technical level.

The U.S. Capitol Police were apparently asleep at the wheel in monitoring security cameras at Paul and Nancy Pelosi's family home in San Francisco during the savage home invasion that nearly killed her husband ... this according to a new report.

The Washington Post reported Tuesday D.C.-based Capitol Police officers in a command center failed to see live images of David DePape allegedly smashing his way inside the Pelosi townhouse 3,000 miles away. The command center has 1,800 cameras watching the Capitol Complex and areas beyond, including the Pelosi townhouse.

Shortly after the break-in, one of the Capitol officers noticed on the security cameras police lights flashing outside the Pelosi residence.

The officer went back and reviewed footage from minutes before, spotting DePape smashing the glass panel with the hammer before entering the Speaker’s home, according to WaPo.

The reported security lapse comes as DePape was arraigned Tuesday on charges of attempted murder and several other felonies. DePape has also been charged federally with attempted kidnapping of a government official (Nancy Pelosi).

As we reported, DePape told the FBI that he planned to shatter Nancy Pelosi's kneecaps because he saw her as a liar. He allegedly brought zip ties, tape and rope with him to apparently tie her up. The Speaker was safe in D.C. at the time of the attack.

But her husband, Paul, was asleep in bed when DePape broke in. Paul was able to make a surreptitious phone call to 911 and speak in code, alerting the operator that something was wrong.

The operator quickly dispatched police, who arrived at the Pelosi residence within minutes. In front of the officers, DePape allegedly clubbed Paul in the head with the hammer, fracturing his skull. Police tackled DePape and took him into custody. DePape is currently being held without bail.

Quavo was toe-to-toe with a group of guys outside that Houston bowling alley -- Takeoff and others had his back while he argued for more than 30 seconds before the shooting began.

TMZ Hip Hop obtained this video of the showdown around 2:30 AM -- you can see and hear Quavo arguing with someone, and Takeoff is a few feet behind him. There's a discussion about playing basketball, and someone -- possibly Quavo -- says "I don't get down like that!"

Seconds later, there's a single crack of gunfire ... and when everyone starts running, a flurry of shots are firing through the crowd. You can hear more than 10 shots in total, and it sounds like they came from at least 2 different weapons.

Chaos ensued, with folks running in all directions to escape the hail of bullets. As we first reported, Takeoff was shot near his head, and despite efforts to resuscitate him -- made by Quavo and a bystander -- he was pronounced dead on the scene.

Members of the Houston Police Department held a press conference Tuesday afternoon and revealed a 23-year-old male and a 24-year-old female were also hit, and went to a hospital for treatment. Cops say most of the witnesses to the shooting fled the scene, and they're asking them to come forward with information about what happened.

Takeoff was only 28.

Originally Published -- 2:08 PM PT

Christina Applegate is opening up about her struggles with multiple sclerosis, ahead of her first appearance on the big screen ... revealing she put on 40 pounds and can't walk without a cane.

The "Married... with Children" star got candid with the New York Times ... saying the upcoming season of "Dead to Me" would be "the first time anyone’s going to see me the way I am."

Christina said she had been struggling to accept the weight gain and her impaired mobility ... saying she's aware of all the changes but says, "I'm never going to accept this."

She took it a step further, saying she felt she had to "process the loss of [her] life" ... and was forced to accept a new normal.

As we reported, the actress revealed she'd been diagnosed with MS back in August, 2021. At the time she said, "It's been a strange journey. But, I have been so supported by people that I know who also have this condition."

She continued, "It's been a tough road. But, as we all know, the road keeps going. Unless some asshole blocks it."

Kanye West has folks trying to help him regain billionaire status via crowdfunding -- but his haters have responded with just as much passion.

Here's the deal ... at least one GoFundMe page (possibly more) popped up this week with the goal of making Kanye a billionaire again, soliciting donations ... apparently carried out by people who felt he'd been done dirty amid his antisemitism.

It doesn't sound like any of those campaigns were successful ... reportedly only making a few bucks before they were taken down entirely. More on why they were yanked later.

In response to that nonsense ... even more silliness. Ye haters have rallied in opposition with their own GFMs that are apparently trying to keep him from hitting 10-digits with an interesting strategy -- namely, asking that *they* be made billionaires instead. 😅

The pages are popping up en masse, it seems, with tons of people laying out their logic as ... hey, Kanye sucks and he doesn't deserve to be a billionaire again, but I sure do!!!

Like we said, it's all pretty goofy ... but the fact these GoFundMes are being created as quickly and widely as they are -- from different parts of the world -- just speaks to how angry Kanye has made folks in the wake of his controversial remarks/fall from grace.

FWIW, these new anti-Ye pages are falling flat. None have raised more than $25, and a majority are in the $5 - $6 range.

In other words, Kanye's fans and haters alike have a better chance of winning the lottery than striking it rich from donations. Sources familiar tell TMZ ... GFM's terms of service may explain why the pro-Kanye campaigns were yanked and the anti-Ye ones are still live.

The ACE family has a new estate to call home ... we've learned they've been renting out a $5 million dollar mansion in Hollywood and their monthly payment is five figures.

Our real estate sources tell us Austin and Catherine McBroom have been leasing the 5-bedroom home for $20,000 a month.

The newly constructed farmhouse is 4,900 square feet and it's got a home theater with leather recliners and a pool. The family room, living room and main suite all have fireplaces, and there's a firepit in a covered lounge next to the pool.

The main suite also has a walk-in closet, spa shower and a private deck and balcony ... and the home is outfitted with all the latest built-in technology.

Renting a multi-million dollar mansion is a change of pace for the ACE family ... remember, Austin and Catherine used to own a mega-property in Woodland Hills, but it was foreclosed on in 2021 and sold to another pair of YouTube stars ... Alan and Alex Stokes.

Boxing star Shakur Stevenson was standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Takeoff right before the rapper was shot and killed early Tuesday morning in Houston, TMZ Sports has learned.

Thankfully, Shakur wasn't physically injured.

25-year-old Stevenson, a former champ who's regarded as one of the best fighters in the world, was seen on video directly next to the Migos rapper ... wearing a blue hat as an argument turned deadly.

Shakur is from New Jersey ... but now lives in Houston. He was seen partying with Jas Prince earlier in the week. He's also friends with the Migos.

Takeoff was tragically murdered around 2:30 AM Tuesday morning outside of a bowling alley called 810 Billiards & Bowling ... following a heated argument between Quavo and another man.

It's during the verbal altercation that Shakur was seen next to Takeoff.

Houston PD has asked witnesses to come forward to recount their side of the story. It's unclear if police have been in contact with Stevenson or his people.

Takeoff's shocking slaying in Houston is prompting the rap community to remember far too many young talents who tragically lost their lives due to gun violence.

Notorious B.I.G., aka Biggie Smalls, was only 24 when his car was gunned down back in '97 ... just 6 months after Tupac had been shot to death. Both men's murders remain unsolved.

More recently, Young Dolph was killed in 2021 outside a Memphis bakery. He was on his way to hand out a truckload of turkeys in his old neighborhood when he met his violent and untimely death.

PnB Rock was climbing the Billboard charts back in 2016 ... but his career, and life, were tragically cut short when he was shot and killed in September during a robbery at a Roscoe's in Los Angeles.

Of course, there have been so many others, both fatalities -- like Pop Smoke, Nipsey Hussle, Slim 400 and XXXTentacion -- and those who luckily survived ... like Lil Tjay and 50 Cent.

Nipsey was gunned down outside his Marathon clothing store in his own neighborhood ... with at least 10 bullets striking Nipsey's body and his murderer also kicking him in the head.

XXX was only 20 years old when he was shot dead as he was leaving a motorcycle dealer in Florida. XXX was blocked from exiting the parking lot by a black SUV, with two gunmen hopping out and approaching his car. A struggle ensued, with the gunmen reaching inside XXX's car for a small bag before ultimately opening fire.

Mike Martz -- the man who once coached Marshall Faulk -- tells TMZ Sports Christian McCaffrey looks EXACTLY like the Rams Hall of Famer ... saying the new 49ers star is so good, he now expects SF to win the NFC West.

The former head coach of Faulk's St. Louis Rams broke it all down for us just a day after McCaffrey had a historic game against L.A. ... and it's safe to say he was blown away by what he saw.

Martz told us he couldn't help but see shades of Faulk when he watched the 26-year-old carve up the Rams for three TDs -- one rushing, one passing and one receiving -- and says he thinks the Niners are going to be the team to beat in their division going forward because of the tailback.

"He's the closest thing that I've seen to Marshall for quite some time," the 71-year-old said. "He's not Marshall, but he has those Marshall-esque type things within him."

The Niners picked up McCaffrey from Carolina for a bevy of draft picks -- and he's done nothing but produce in two games so far.

And, Martz says he only expects things to get better for the running back and his new team ... once Deebo Samuel makes his return from injury.

"What you could do with them is unlimited," Martz said.

American actor Michael Fishman was just 7 years old when he was first cast as D.J. Conner -- the rambunctious, kindhearted boy who is the youngest member of the Conner family -- in the American sitcom "Roseanne" back in 1988.

Michael was accompanied on the iconic series by Roseanne Barr as D.J.'s loving but sarcastic mother, Roseanne Conner and John Goodman as his comical and loving father, Dan Conner. D.J. started out with 3 older siblings, until the 8th season when his little brother Jerry Garcia was born into the show.

Of course, Fishman reprised his role in the 2018 spin-off series "The Conners" but the classic days of "Roseanne" will live on forever.

Takeoff, one-third of Migos, is dead after an early morning shooting in Houston ... TMZ Hip Hop has confirmed.

Law enforcement sources, and multiple witnesses, tell us the fatal incident went down shortly after 2:30 AM ... that's when cops got the call for a man shot at a bowling alley called 810 Billiards & Bowling Houston.

We're told Takeoff and Quavo were there playing dice when an altercation broke out and that's when someone opened fire, shooting Takeoff ... either in the head or near his head. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

TMZ Hip Hop has obtained footage from the scene, and you can see Quavo -- in an orange shirt -- and others gathered around Takeoff. At first they tried to move him, but then put him back down, and Quavo yelled for someone to get help.

Police tell us 2 other people were shot and were taken to the hospital in private vehicles. We do not know their conditions. Quavo was not injured.

Just a couple of hours before the shooting, Takeoff posted a pic of himself lighting up at the bowling alley. Quavo had posted video several hours earlier as he drove around Houston with Jas Prince, who was celebrating his birthday.

We're told Jas was not with Quavo and Takeoff when the shooting happened.

Takeoff, who's real name is Kirsnik Khari Ball, was the youngest member of Migos. Quavo was his uncle, and Offset his cousin.

They came together as a group in 2008 in Georgia, and became multi-platinum hitmakers ... dropping their first major hit, "Versace," in 2013. They would hit number one on Billboard in 2016 with "Bad and Boujee."

Most recently, Quavo and Takeoff had released a project as the duo, "Unc & Phew." They had just released their latest music video, "Messy," on Monday.

Takeoff was 28.

RIP

Chuck D says hip hop needs to start addressing the gun violence plaguing the industry ... and killing rappers at an alarming pace.

We talked to the legendary MC on "TMZ Live" to get his thoughts on the latest shooting death in hip hop -- Migos rapper Takeoff being gunned down in Houston -- and Chuck says it's crazy how folks think it's normal to lose rappers to gun violence.

Chuck says attacking someone with a gun should be considered "abnormal behavior" ... and he's lamenting the fact it's become so commonplace in America, people almost seem to shrug it off as just a part of life.

As we reported ... Takeoff was killed during an early morning shooting in Houston, with emergency audio revealing at least 5 shots were fired. We're told Takeoff and Quavo were playing dice at a bowling alley when an altercation broke out and someone, or multiple people, opened fire ... fatally shooting Takeoff.

Chuck D says gun violence in the hip hop community has been ignored for far too long -- he says any other industry with so many fatalities would have addressed the issue before it became normalized.

He adds ... people have grown up thinking a rapper dying young is a normal thing ... and he says it's not only about the death itself, but also the manner -- drugs and gunshots.

Problem is, Chuck says too much music glorifies guns and drugs, whereas before, it was a reflection of what was going on in the community, not a dictation.