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Shawn Kemp's attorney just released a statement on the ex-NBA star's arrest ... saying his actions were "reasonable and legally justified" when he fired a gun in a shopping mall parking lot -- alleging thieves opened fire on him first.

W. Scott Boatman addressed the situation in a lengthy note on Thursday -- shortly after Kemp was released from jail -- saying the incident started after his client's property, including an iPhone, was stolen from his car Tuesday night.

Boatman says Kemp tracked his phone to an occupied car that was parked near a Tacoma, WA shopping center on Wednesday ... and when he approached the vehicle, the individuals inside shot at him.

The attorney says Kemp returned fire, but only out of self-defense ... and he remained at the scene and spoke with cops "in an attempt to assist in the matter."

No one was injured during the incident.

Kemp was arrested and booked for a drive-by shooting Wednesday night ... and spent the night behind bars before being released less than 24 hours later.

Kemp's attorney is also disputing that there was a "drive-by shooting" ... but according to Washington state legislature, a drive-by shooting is described as when someone "recklessly discharges a firearm as defined in RCW 9.41.010 in a manner which creates a substantial risk of death or serious physical injury to another person and the discharge is either from a motor vehicle or from the immediate area of a motor vehicle that was used to transport the shooter or the firearm, or both, to the scene of the discharge."

As we previously reported, part of the incident was captured on video ... showing Kemp fire his gun, drive around the parking lot and drop an item in a bush before speaking with police.

Cops later retrieved a revolver from that same location.

TikTok users worried the U.S. government is gearing up to ban the platform might have good reason to feel that way ... according to the U.S. Senator spearheading those efforts.

We got Sen. Mark Warner Thursday as he was leaving FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C., and asked what if any advice he had for the millions of influencers making a good living on the app. His answer is, Charli D'Amelio and co. need to be as concerned as politicians are about who's collecting their information.

ICYMI ... Warner and Sen. John Thune introduced a bipartisan bill this week that would give President Biden wide-ranging power to restrict TikTok use, or flat-out ban it, if there's reason to believe China is gathering U.S. citizens' data from TikTok's Chinese parent company, ByteDance.

The White House has already said it supports the legislation -- which applies to all foreign technologies, not just TikTok -- but Congress has yet to put it to a vote.

Sen. Warner acknowledges there's "a lot of great things happening on TikTok," but says Congress can't be concerned with that ... not if national security hangs in the balance.

IF there's a ban -- as was threatened years ago under the Trump administration -- Warner says TikTok users shouldn't be too concerned, because he's certain a new app would quickly spring up to host the hot new dance challenge.

Taylor Swift fans won't just get to see their fave artist perform in Arizona, they'll be doing it in a city named after her 'cause the city of Glendale is temporarily changing its name to honor the start of her tour.

Glendale's Mayor, Jerry Weiers, is reportedly set to announce the new name Monday as the singer kicks off "The Eras Tour" at the State Farm Arena. The new name will reportedly go into effect during her concert dates on March 17 and 18.

Weiers will also give the scoop on go-to places for fans to continue the party after the concerts.

According to a statement from the city, using plenty of Taylor puns, "There is no need to calm down, we’re fearless and doing something highly unusual to celebrate the fact that Taylor’s concerts start right here!"

The Eras Tour is a highly-anticipated event ... you'll recall all the drama with Ticketmaster and fans trying to get their hands on concert tickets. In the words of the folks calling the shots for the city ... they are more than happy to be  "greeting every Swiftie in style".

The "Cocaine Bear" has company -- a wild big cat found and captured far from its natural habitat of Africa ... has cocaine in its system!!!

In a scene that sounds like a sequel script ... officials in Ohio say they responded to reports of a "leopard" stuck in a tree, and when they got there they found an African serval cat, which is illegal to own in the state.

Cincinnati Animal Care took in the animal for DNA and narcotics testing, and it tested positive for cocaine exposure!!!

The wild big cat, now known as Amiry, is getting treatment at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens. Unlike the big screen bear now in theaters ... there are no reports of the cat killing anyone.

The zoo says trainers are going to work with Amiry, and if things go well the zoo is going to keep him ... though he won't be visible to the public, at least not yet. Perhaps a rehab stint is in order?

Unclear how the cat got into cocaine, but authorities say they've found the animal's owner, who is cooperating with the investigation.

Shalonda Mixon -- the sister of Joe Mixon -- has been named as a suspect along with one other in the shooting incident at the NFL star's home earlier this week ... this according to new police documents, obtained by TMZ Sports.

According to a Hamilton County Sheriff's Office incident report, several juveniles were playing a game called "dart wars" near Joe Mixon's house in Cincinnati on Monday at around 8:25 PM -- when the shooting occurred.

Police in the docs say two of the participants in the game told them one of the other players -- a 16-year-old boy -- had run alongside his house with a "Nerf" style toy gun when he suddenly came under fire.

Per the docs, "unknown suspect(s)" shot at the boy from Joe Mixon's backyard ... allegedly firing off a total of 11 rounds.

The teenager, according to the docs, was struck in the foot by a bullet as he attempted to run away.

Police say in the docs a black Honda Accord was spotted leaving Joe Mixon's home just after the shooting. An ensuing police stop, cops say, revealed 34-year-old Shalonda Mixon and a 34-year-old man named Lamonte Brewer were the occupants of the vehicle. Both were ID'ed as suspects in the shooting incident.

Cops say the boy, meanwhile, was transported to the hospital, where medical personnel discovered he had a bullet still lodged inside his foot.

The HCSO said no arrests have been made and no charges have been filed.

"We understand that there is very specific interest in this story due to the nature of the home being connected to Bengals player Joe Mixon," an HCSO spokesperson said in a statement Thursday. "We cannot confirm additional details outside of what is outlined in the Incident Report. Our investigative team continues to review the evidence and conduct interviews."

YG had his famous rap friends dress to the nines in red, his favorite color, as he celebrated his 33rd birthday last night ... and had no issues dancing the night away.

The 4Hunnid CEO was surrounded by the likes of Offset, Travis Scott, Mustard and Ty Dolla $ign inside an undisclosed location in West Hollywood.

The guest list was deep with celebs ... Diddy's sons Christian and Justin Combs, A$AP Ferg, BIA, Nardo Wick, 'Power' actor Kris D. Lofton, "Snowfall" actor Quincy Chad, Pusharod, Lenny S., former NFL star Todd Gurley II and Saweetie, who's been spotted with YG more frequently as of late.

Tyga captured video of YG cutting up on the dance floor to Snoop Dogg and Tha Eastsidaz's classic "I Luv It" track while his 4Hunnid chain swung like an anchor around his neck ... and fans should get used to seeing them together again.

Shawn Kemp allegedly wasn't the only one pulling the trigger during his parking lot altercation on Wednesday ... police responded to "two subjects firing shots at each other," according to dispatch audio obtained by TMZ Sports.

53-year-old Kemp was arrested for drive-by shooting following a dispute with another driver outside a Tacoma, WA shopping mall on Wednesday ... after cops say an altercation broke out between two cars around 2 PM.

As we previously reported, witnesses claim they heard gunshots prior to recording part of the incident on their phones ... although it was unclear whether Kemp -- who is shown aiming and shooting his weapon in the video -- was the only one to open fire.

According to police dispatch, witnesses claim Kemp fired 5-10 shots at the other vehicle during the incident ... and a revolver was found outside a Firestone Complete Auto Care.

Our footage shows Kemp driving around the parking lot and dumping something near a bush outside the car shop ... and cops later found a weapon at the scene.

Sources tell Fox 13 Kemp was acting out of self-defense ... and he was attempting to retrieve stolen property when someone opened fire on him first.

Kemp was booked for felony drive-by shooting at 5:58 PM at the Pierce County Jail.

Cops say no one was injured ... and the incident is under investigation.

Lisa Vanderpump has some big decisions to make about Tom Sandoval and her restaurant empire -- in light of his Raquel Leviss affair -- and she says their public apologies aren't enough to make things right.

The "Vanderpump Rules" boss lady shared her thoughts on "Watch What Happens Live" Wednesday night, telling Andy Cohen ... Tom's second public apology to Ariana Madix didn't even seem like something he wanted to do.

She isn't fond of Raquel's mea culpa, either ... and, for LV's money, a situation this messy requires a proper sit-down and discussion -- she says that's the only way things can get back on track.

She also tells Andy about her thoughts on future business ventures, now that the backlash on Tom and Raquel is in full swing -- and you gotta see her take on Scheana Shay allegedly punching Raquel last week.

Lisa's not necessarily advocating violence ... but, she fully understands!

BTW -- we got Lisa as she was heading into 'WWHL' in NYC. She says she's been chatting with Ariana since we broke the news about the cheating scandal ... it doesn't sound like she's doing too well.

Alex Murdaugh is being held in the most secure area of a South Carolina prison ... and it's all because other inmates might wanna take him down a few notches due to his notoriety.

Murdaugh, who is serving two life sentences after being convicted of murdering his wife and 22-year-old son, is behind bars at Kirkland Correctional Institution in Columbia, SC, where he's been placed in a single cell.

The SC Department of Corrections tells TMZ ... Murdaugh's infamy could put him at risk -- so, for the most part, he's being kept away from other inmates.

Murdaugh's single cell is made of concrete with a steel bed, toilet and sink. It's a stark contrast to the privileged lifestyle the disgraced powerhouse attorney once led.

We're told Murdaugh is under constant surveillance and he's not even eating with the other inmates. His meals are brought directly to his cell, where he eats alone -- that's how in peril prison officials feel he'd be in general population.

Murdaugh's only going to be at Kirkland for 45 days ... there's an evaluation period before he's assigned to a specific custody level, and new prison. At that point, we're told he will get his meals in the cafeteria with his fellow inmates, unless a specific threat is made against him.

For now, though, we're told Murdaugh is being escorted by at least one corrections officer whenever he leaves his cell ... and that's when he gets closest to other inmates, albeit for an extremely limited window.

As far as creature comforts, he can have a few. We're told he can buy a TV for his cell and pay for phone calls to family and friends.

So far, he hasn't been attacked or even threatened ... but Kirkland officials aren't taking any chances he gets harmed on their watch.

Ex-NBA star Shawn Kemp fired a gun during a parking lot altercation prior to his felony arrest on Wednesday ... footage obtained by TMZ Sports shows.

53-year-old Kemp -- wearing a red vest -- approached a vehicle and pointed his firearm ... appearing to yell something before pulling the trigger at least once outside a Tacoma, Washington shopping mall around 2:00 PM.

Witnesses tell us they heard multiple gunshots before pulling their phones out to record the incident ... and claim they saw Kemp drive around the parking lot and ditched his gun in a bush before talking to police.

At one point, Kemp appears to attempt to flag down police to go after the other vehicle involved.

Footage also shows cops searching the parking lot landscaping before retrieving a handgun from a bush.

As we previously reported ... Kemp was booked for felony drive-by shooting at 5:58 PM at the Pierce County Jail.

Sources tell Fox 13 Kemp was attempting to retrieve items he claimed were stolen on Tuesday ... and once he tracked down the property Wednesday afternoon, someone opened fire on him first. Kemp claims he was purely acting out of self-defense.

Julia Fox's dad and brother were reportedly taken away in handcuffs ... with cops finding ghost guns and materials used to manufacture drugs in their apartment.

According to NY Post, police conducted a raid at Christopher and Thomas Fox's Manhattan pad Wednesday ... all in part of a larger investigation regarding ghost guns.

Not only did cops find the weapons without serial numbers, but also a slew of chemicals -- including fentanyl, chloroform, heroin, formaldehyde, and other materials often used to craft explosives ... things like pressure cookers and other chemicals. Thousands of dollars worth of wine bottles were also spotted inside.

On top of that, police reportedly recovered 3D printers and unidentified pills at their apartment ... both of the were taken into custody, with charges currently pending according to The Post's sources.

A spokesperson for the NYPD confirmed an arrest at Christopher and Thomas' apartment building, saying the department seized equipment for pressing narcotic pills as well as the guns.

"Queer Eye" alum Tom Jackson, who appeared on the show's first season, has died of cancer ... and now fans are down a former hero.

According to his obituary, Tom died on March 3 at 11:49 PM ... after succumbing to stage 4 adenocarcinoma -- a glandular cancer, which doctors said had metastasized.

The show's official website shared the sad news Wednesday on Instagram, posting ... "It's with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to a member of our Queer Eye family. Rest in peace, Tom Jackson"

Fans will best remember Tom from season 1 of the Netflix reboot. He became a fan favorite after appearing in the premiere episode in 2018 alongside the Fab Five. He once dropped the iconic line, "You can't fix ugly."

Before his reality TV stardom he reportedly worked as a dump-truck driver in Georgia ... after he'd retired from FedEx.

Tom is survived by his 2 grandsons, 2 sisters and his daughter, who also appeared on the series.

His family said in a statement, "We will never forget our beloved Tom. He brought joy, humor, persistence, and love to our family. He is special to us, and we look forward to seeing him again one day."

They're also suggesting fans watch his episode of "Queer Eye" in his honor.

Tom was 63.

Floyd Mayweather and Jake Paul came face-to-face in Miami after the Heat game Wednesday night ... the legendary boxer and a group of men confronted the Problem Child -- before JP booked it from the area.

The incident happened after the Heat-Cavs game in south Florida ... when Mayweather rolled up on Paul, who appeared to have a lone security guard with him at the time.

After exchanging a few words, Jake made a run for it ... getting out of there before any fists started flying.

Of course, Floyd and Jake have been beefin' since Paul snatched the hat off the 50-0 boxer's head at a press event promoting his brother Logan's fight with TBE in May 2021.

Jake addressed the situation on social media shortly after the incident occurred.

"So I'm leaving the Miami Heat game and Floyd Mayweather and 50 dudes pull up out of nowhere, out of like some side alley, waiting for me outside the stadium, and they're like, 'So what's up? what's all that talk now?' Paul recounted on Instagram.

The 6-1 fighter continued ... "I'm like first of all, what did I say to you Floyd? I just took your hat and you're still mad about it? Come on, bro. And then 50 dudes literally start surrounding me to jump me, and I'm out that bitch, ok?"

As for Floyd, sources close to the fighter say he just happened to run into Jake while leaving the basketball game, denying they were lying in wait. We're told Mayweather believes Jake previously made comments that went beyond the typical trash talk amongst fighters, so he confronted him.

“Jake crossed the line. This wasn’t about grabbing a hat. This was about Jake’s comments to Floyd about Floyd’s deceased family member and other below-the-belt inappropriate behavior,” a source close to Floyd told us.

As for Paul's social media response after the arena incident, our Floyd source responded ... “Jake went to his IG and started name-calling once again when he can hide behind a camera.”

Speaking of Instagram, Jake didn't miss the opportunity to challenge Floyd to an organized boxing match.

"You wanna run it one on one, no problem. But I'm not dumb. Okay? I'm tough, I don't need to prove my toughness., but I'm not f**king dumb. I'm not gonna sit there and try to fight 50 dudes."

So ... Floyd Mayweather vs. Jake Paul this summer sounds about right!

Mitch McConnell was hospitalized Wednesday night, this after he took a spill at a Washington D.C. hotel.

The Senate Minority leader was having a private dinner at the Waldorf Astoria when he tripped. According to his rep, David Popp, McConnell fell ... and apparently fell hard.

Popp said the 81-year-old Republican "has been admitted to the hospital where he is receiving treatment.”

McConnell's condition was not disclosed, nor were specifics about the fall, but he was not admitted to the hospital for observation ... he was admitted for some sort of treatment.

The Kentucky lawmaker had a similar accident in 2019 when he tumbled to the ground at his Louisville home and fractured his shoulder.

McConnell is the nation's longest-serving Senate Republican leader. He was first elected to the Senate in 1984 and served as majority leader from 2015 to 2021.

A Texas meteorologist used Snoop Dogg's lyrics to serve up a TV weather report ... and he won major props from the hip hop legend himself!

Adam Krueger accepted a challenge from one of his fans on TikTok to intertwine the words to Snoop's first solo single, "Who Am I?(What's My Name?)," in his forecast at CW39 in Houston.

Check out the vid -- as he assures viewers it's gonna be a nice day in the Houston area, he drops some bars from the Dogg -- "From the depths of the sea, to the back of the block."

BTW ... major coincidence. Snoop's lyrics are super similar to the first local anchor ever --Jerry Dunphy -- who opened his newscast with ... "From the desert to the sea, to all of Southern California, a good evening."

Back to Krueger -- he mixed it up a bit by voicing the title to a different Snoop song -- "Rat-Tat-Tat-Tat" -- which also featured Dr. Dre. "We’re gonna be warm and humid, with highs in the 80s, guess what, 'it’s like that, rat tat tat tat.'"

Snoop apparently watched the video and was so impressed that he reposted the clip on his Instagram page.

Others on social media also gave Krueger props. One person said, "Man I absolutely love this! As stressful as the world may be the weatherman is sneaking SNOOP lyrics into the forecast!!!!"

Bam Margera recently expressed outrage over his estranged wife bashing him -- but she has every reason to after the difficult state of affairs he's left her in ... so says her lawyer.

Nikki Boyd's attorney, David Glass, tells TMZ ... "Unfortunately, Mr. Margera doesn’t seem to understand what ‘supporting your wife and child’ means" -- this in response to Bam saying last month that he was "disappointed" in what she and Glass had said about him publicly.

Glass adds, "Nikki has no car, no money, is being evicted from her apartment, and can’t afford to send their child to school, while Bam drops $50,000 on bail, and who knows how much on a Las Vegas spree."

Of course, DG is referring to Bam posting bail last week after being arrested for domestic violence near San Diego -- although the D.A. says the goods aren't there to prosecute him.

The final haymaker from Glass ... "Either Bam, or his parents -- whoever controls his money -- has to provide Nikki with enough money each month so she can care for their son."

You'll recall ... Nikki recently filed for legal separation from Bam, following months of them not being together amid his addiction struggles. Things appeared to be on a good path for a time -- when Bam brought their son, Phoenix, onstage with him while he was on tour with Steve-O -- but things fell apart.

Late last month Bam addressed the financial support situation in a social media post directed at Nikki and Glass. Bam claimed that he didn't need to pay Nikki spousal support because they were never officially married. He went on to say that he had done his part by paying her $5k a month, but if he wasn't able to see or talk to his son then he wouldn't be sending anymore money.