Crime

A judge has just granted Cain Velasquez bail in his attempted murder case ... paving the way for the UFC legend to be out from behind bars for the first time in over 8 months.

Velasquez's bail was set at $1 million ... and, assuming he posts it, the judge also ordered the former fighter to wear a GPS monitor, and to stay away from the alleged victims in the case.

The 40-year-old has been locked up since Feb. 28 -- after authorities claimed he shot at Harry Goularte, a man who had been accused of molesting one of Velasquez's relatives.

Attorneys for Velasquez had argued for months that he should be granted bail -- though prosecutors vehemently opposed, saying he was still a threat to Goularte.

At previous hearings, judges had sided with the prosecutors ... and denied Velasquez bail. But, at a proceeding in a Santa Clara, Calif. courtroom on Tuesday, a judge ultimately ruled in favor of bail, citing, among other things, Velasquez's clean prior criminal history, and his status as a father.

A brazen thief woke up in handcuffs after he literally knocked himself out by slamming into a large window at a Louis Vuitton store in Washington state.

The 17-year-old suspect was caught on surveillance vid clutching $18K in stolen goods and dashing for the exit inside the luxury shop in Bellevue, WA.

Moments later, the teen crashed into the plate glass window and fell like a sack of potatoes. As he lay unconscious, an officer ran over, sat on his back and placed him in cuffs.

The dramatic footage started circulating Monday ... it wasn't clear when the attempted heist went down.

Alvin Kamara reared back and punched a man repeatedly during a violent altercation inside of a Las Vegas hotel earlier this year ... new video, obtained by TMZ Sports, shows.

But, sources connected with Kamara say the video doesn't tell the full story, claiming the alleged victim became violent first.

The incident happened back on Feb. 5 ... inside The Cromwell Hotel and Casino.

According to an October lawsuit filed by Darnell Greene, the altercation all went down after he and the New Orleans Saints superstar got into an argument outside of an elevator of the hotel's popular Drai's Nightclub.

Greene alleged he tried to get on the lift with Kamara and Kamara's associates. But, he claimed in his suit the football player barred him from getting on by "throwing his arm across Greene's chest," and then brutally attacking him.

In the new footage, you can see Kamara -- wearing a light shirt and signature dreads -- throwing multiple blows at Greene.

The clip shows the punches ultimately took the man to the ground. While down, the video shows several other men jumping into the attack -- kicking and stomping the guy, before clearing out.

The footage appears to match pictures that Greene's attorneys included in the lawsuit against Kamara last month. According to the suit, as a result of the beatdown, Greene suffered injuries to his neck, back, head, shoulder, knees and face ... including "a disfiguring facial fracture to" his right orbital bone.

Greene is suing Kamara for $10 million.

Kamara, meanwhile, was arrested following the 2022 Pro Bowl game for his alleged role in the incident ... and charged with felony battery resulting in substantial bodily harm and misdemeanor conspiracy to commit battery.

At the time of the arrest, cops claimed in police documents that Kamara did admit to punching the man.

Kamara -- who's had an up-and-down season for the Saints this year -- is due back in court for a hearing on the case next week.

Megan Thee Stallion's lawyer says hip hop artists -- like Drake, apparently -- who side with Tory Lanez in the shooting case are gonna look like fools, and he adds there's already plenty of evidence backing her up.

Meg's lawyer, Alex Spiro, joined us Friday on "TMZ Live" to remind everyone ... she's the victim here, but instead of fellow artists having her back, he says too many are calling BS.

Alex strongly believes prosecutors have built a case that proves Meg is telling the truth about Tory shooting her in the foot back in 2020 ... and, for that reason, he says Meg's doubters are gonna be eating crow.

As we reported, Drake is apparently the latest to say the H-Town Hottie is lying about getting shot in the foot while in an SUV with Tory.

There is another view of Drake's verse on "Circo Loco," which is that he was really rapping about thick women (stallions), in general, lying about getting "shots" for BBLs ... AKA Brazilian butt lifts.

Meg definitely didn't take it that way, and clapped back on Twitter shortly after his album dropped Friday -- calling out Drake and other rappers for ganging up on her simply because she said "one of y'all homeboys abused her."

Cops are trying to piece together the argument that escalated to the point of gunfire in the fatal shooting of Takeoff, and the triviality of the whole thing is just mind-boggling.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... angry words were exchanged between Quavo and others after he lost in a dice game at the bowling alley. We're told they took the argument outside, and somehow they begin jawboning over who could beat who at basketball.

That lines up with video obtained by TMZ, in which you hear Quavo become increasingly frustrated ... talking about basketball and assuring the group he'd win.

From there is when things hit a breaking point ... Quavo begins to walk away and then, our sources say, a punch was thrown. Suddenly, at least 10 shots ring out. It appears multiple weapons were fired, striking 3 people -- Takeoff fatally.

No arrests have been made, and cops haven't publicly named a suspect. However, in another video obtained by TMZ, you see one man in the group holding and then raising his gun. Cops tell us he's currently a person of interest.

Takeoff's Migos groupmates have not yet made public statements about his death.

Megan Thee Stallion isn't gonna take Drake's insults lyin' down ... because she's firing shots back at the rapper after he called her out on his new album with 21 Savage.

Meg took to Twitter early Friday morning ... soon after Drake and 21's "Her Loss" album dropped -- and it's on the track "Circo Loco" where he blasts the H-Town Hottie.

Drake goes, "This bitch lie 'bout getting shots, but she still a stallion/She don't even get the joke, but she still smiling" ... clearly referring to her getting shot in the foot in 2020 while in a car with Tory Lanez.

Meg quickly responded ... "I know I'm very popular but y'all gotta stop attaching weak ass conspiracy theories in bars to my name lol N***** nor hoes EVER address me or @ me WITH a fact or receipts. I AM CLOUT BITCH keep sucking my p***y."

Not that she needed to say anything more, but she sprayed a slew of follow-up tweets ... one said, "Since when tf is it cool to joke abt women getting shot ! You n***** especially RAP N***** ARE LAME! Ready to boycott bout shoes and clothes but dog pile on a black woman when she say one of y'all homeboys abused her."

FYI -- Drake circled back to Megan later on the track -- referring to her graduation from Texas Southern University with the line, "Shorty say she graduated, she ain't learn enough/Play your album, track onе, 'kay, I heard enough."

Joe Exotic's had enough of his living conditions behind bars ... so he's putting the whole place on blast, basically saying Satan is his warden now.

The "Tiger King" star fired off on Instagram Thursday -- yes, while in a federal pen -- and wrote, "I have officially landed at the bottom of hell, at the Federal Prison in Atlanta GA."

He continued "Senator Ossoff, Warnock and Walker are all lying to you Black Voters of Georgia because the Animals at the Atlanta Zoo are living better then [sic] your loved ones are in here I promise. #fixthiss***".

As you know ... the documentary star is serving a 21-year sentence for trying to hire 2 men to murder his nemesis, Carole Baskin.

Even before his transfer to ATL -- he was previously in a Texas federal prison -- Joe's had a rough go of it behind bars ... battling an aggressive cancer. In fact, he's moved a few times in order to get better medical attention.

The Atlanta facility he's in has reportedly been at the center of a monthslong investigation over allegations of drug abuse, violence and unsanitary conditions.

The family of Gabby Petito is taking the Moab City Police Department to court, filing a wrongful death suit, claiming officers could've saved her life in the weeks leading up to her death.

Legal docs, obtained by TMZ, say Moab PD failed to protect Gabby when police investigated the reported domestic violence incident roughly 2 weeks before she was killed by Brian Laundrie.

You'll recall, officers interviewed Gabby and Brian on the side of the road with one officer acknowledging she was crying uncontrollably and had cuts on her face and arm.

Still, Brian told officers Gabby had just been under distress -- and officers simply separated them for the day.

The suit claims police didn't probe hard enough on Brian's side of the story ... and even claims the officers treated Brian as if he were the victim, rather than the perpetrator, of domestic violence.

In the family's eyes -- all signs pointed to Brian, and they say the cops "egregiously misinterpreted" the situation.

Her family also calls out the department for failing to train its cops for situations like this -- characterizing this case as a "vehicle for systemic change and a reckoning about how the police enforce the State's domestic abuse laws." They are seeking $50 million in damages.

The city of Moab tells TMZ ... "We feel profound sympathy for the Petito and Schmidt families and the painful loss they have endured. At the same time, it is clear that Moab City Police Department officers are not responsible for Gabrielle Petito’s eventual murder."

The city says it will defend itself against the suit.

There were two other people shot in the gunfire that killed Takeoff -- and one of those people is Quavo's assistant -- TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us Joshua "Wash" Washington is the 23-year-old male who was shot and rushed to a local hospital by someone at the scene in the minutes following the melee ... cops described his injuries as non-life threatening.

Wash has been close with Quavo for years, and describes himself as Quavo's assistant and part of operations management at Huncho Records on his social media profile.

As we reported, there was also a 24-year-old female who was shot ... she was also taken to a hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

While the shooter (or shooters) have yet to be publicly named, the Harris County Medical Examiner's Office says Takeoff was shot in both the head and torso early Monday morning.

In video obtained by TMZ from the scene, you can see Quavo in an argument and then start to walk away as shots ring out. There's also video showing one man holding a gun to his side ... police have named that man as a person of interest in Takeoff's death.

Nikolas Cruz, the monster who murdered 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018, has been sentenced to life in prison without parole.

The 24-year-old's sentencing was made final Wednesday ... following an emotional couple days of victims' parents and loved ones addressing Cruz directly.

Before the sentencing was handed down, the judge spoke directly to the victims and families -- reminding them that they're a part of a strong community -- adding those they've lost will never be forgotten.

As we reported, the jury recommended life in prison for Cruz in October -- they were unable to unanimously decide on the death penalty. At the time, Family members of Cruz's 17 victims were very obviously angry sitting inside the courtroom -- many shaking their heads and crying in disbelief. Cruz sat expressionless.

You'll recall, Cruz pled guilty last year to 34 counts -- 17 charges of murder and 17 charges of attempted murder.

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.

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.

Richard Reed -- a star high school football player in California -- was tragically killed in a fatal shooting over the weekend. He was only 17.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department says deputies were dispatched to La Mesa Road and Jade Road in Victorville (85 miles northeast of Los Angeles) around 11 PM on Oct. 30.

They found a male with a gunshot wound lying on the street ... and sadly, the EMTs pronounced him dead on their arrival.

SBSD identified the victim as Reed, a standout football player from Silverado High School ... and his death has been ruled a homicide.

Reed was a versatile star ... playing offense, defense and special teams for the Silverado Hawks.

According to Max Preps, Reed had 269 rushing yards, 5 total touchdowns in 10 games this season ... adding 72 total tackles and 2.5 sacks on the defensive side.

He was named the All-Desert Sky League Defensive Player of the Year in 2021.

The Silverado H.S. principal says the Hawks football team is completely devastated over Reed's murder.

"Many of the players are still in shock, and when we heard the news today, football was the furthest thing from our minds," Principal Heather Conkle said ... adding the team is "unified" and will play their playoff game on Friday in his honor.

Britt Reid -- Andy Reid's son and a former Kansas City Chiefs assistant coach -- has just been sentenced to three years in prison ... over his role in a 2021 car crash.

Britt learned his fate at a hearing inside of a Missouri courtroom on Tuesday afternoon ... a little over one month after he pleaded guilty to felony DWI in the case.

Britt showed up to the proceedings in a grey suit. He addressed the courtroom, according to The Kansas City Star, by apologizing and saying, "Every time I see my daughter, I think about Ariel and how my decision affected her so deeply and her family.”

The mother of Ariel Young, the 5-year-old who suffered serious injuries in the wreck, submitted a victim's impact statement ... which was read in court. It, in part, included the words, "There are 5 of us that Britt Reid's choice to drink and drive hurt."

Britt had been facing a maximum of seven years behind bars. He had petitioned the court in September for nothing more than probation.

As we reported, Britt was accused of drinking back on Feb. 4, 2021, getting behind the wheel of his pickup truck ... and then causing a serious car accident that left Young with life-changing brain injuries.

Authorities say Britt was going 83.9 MPH in a 65 MPH zone just before the wreck, and had a BAC of .113 two hours following the accident.

The 37-year-old was working for the Chiefs at the time, and was slated to coach during the Super Bowl against the Buccaneers just days later on Feb. 7.

But, he did not end up coaching in the contest, and departed from the org. a short time later. He has not been hired by an NFL team since.

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

Eric Bledsoe is off the hook in his domestic violence case ... TMZ Sports has learned the former NBA player won't face criminal charges despite his arrest last week.

The L.A. County District Attorney tells us ... the case has been declined "due to insufficient evidence."

Bledsoe had been accused of slapping his girlfriend during an incident in Lost Hills, Calif. on  Oct. 26. He was arrested, but bonded out a short time later.

Following the alleged altercation, the 32-year-old's GF posted a pic and video on her social media page ... calling the basketball player "a monster."

She later deleted the post ... and was seen commenting on Bledsoe's most recent Instagram photo Sunday night with the words, "My baby."

Bledsoe responded to the comment, writing "mine," with a heart emoji.