Crime

7/16 -- 2:08 PM PT -- TMZ's learned the whole shootout video ended up being nothing but a fake ... with sources in direct contact with the guy telling us no live rounds were fired, and law enforcement confirming there were no reports of a shooting or attempted robbery.

Rapper Troy Ave is his brother's keeper ... and he proved it, big time, by opening fire on a gunman who ran up on his pal, celeb chef Geoff Cole.

The shootout went down in the San Diego area -- home security footage shows Geoff pull up at home in his Bentley, Troy gets out on the passenger side ... and as both men are walking toward the garage, a would-be robber sneaks down the alley and charges at Geoff.

The Brooklyn MC immediately reacted, reaching for his own handgun as the gunman fumbled an apparent weapon -- and Troy seized the opportunity to start shooting and chasing the guy back into the alley.

The man accused of murdering a Minnesota politician and seriously injuring another left a handwritten letter to FBI director Kash Patel, confessing to the shootings and claiming Minnesota governor Tim Walz approached him about killing 2 U.S. Senators ... at least according to federal prosecutors.

Vance Boelter was indicted Tuesday by a federal grand jury in Minnesota on murder and stalking charges in the killing of State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman.

Acting United States Attorney for the District of Minnesota Joseph Thompson said the incident was a "political assassination, the likes of which have never occurred here in the state of Minnesota."

As President Trump's administration faces a whole brouhaha over newly released details in the disputed "Epstein Files" over the last week ... we're getting a peek at Jeffrey Epstein's one-time girlfriend and co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell warming the track at the Florida penitentiary where she's doing time.

Check out these pics and video ... Maxwell's getting some brisk outdoor exercise at FCI Tallahassee, where she's currently serving a 20-year prison sentence, with lots and lots of barbed wire as a backdrop.

Maxwell was accused of soliciting and grooming minors for abuse and sex crimes from 1994 to 2004 ... and was convicted on 5 counts, including sex trafficking of a minor in December 2021. She was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison about 6 months later.

12:07 PM PT -- Our law enforcement sources tell us Robin and Thomas were both shot in the head ... and they were found in different rooms.

We're told cops are reviewing surveillance footage and no one is in custody ... and as of now, this doesn't appear to be a burglary because the home was not ransacked.

Our sources say police found no signs of a break-in when they responded to the 911 call last week ... we're told a LAPD helicopter flew over the house but the suspect was not there when cops arrived.

Robin Kaye, an award-winning music supervisor on "American Idol," was found dead inside her Los Angeles home ... and TMZ has learned she and her husband, Thomas Deluca, were the victims of a gruesome double murder.

Our law enforcement sources tell us the bodies of the couple were discovered Monday inside their house in Encino after LAPD officers showed up for a welfare check.

We're told cops saw blood at the front entrance and then smashed a window to gain entry to the home, where they found Robin and Thomas suffering from possible gunshot wounds. They were both declared dead at the scene.

D.L. Hughley says President Trump's attempt to downplay the Jeffrey Epstein controversy seems to implicate Trump ... and he's calling for the Epstein files to be released so folks can see who was hanging out with the pedophile.

The comedian joined us Tuesday on "TMZ Live" and ripped into Trump for even associating with Epstein back in the day ... and he says if Trump has nothing to hide, it should be a no-brainer to release the files.

Trump promised to release the files if he was elected to a second term ... but earlier this month the DOJ and FBI sent out a memo saying there was no "little black book," that Epstein killed himself in jail, and that no one else in the case would be prosecuted.

Billy McFarland is no longer the owner of FYRE Festival ... because someone snapped up the rights to the brand on eBay -- and they only needed a little over $245K to snag the winning bid.

FYRE Festival's rights, IP, brand trademark and social media assets were sold Tuesday on eBay for a measly $245,300.

The online sale closed Tuesday at 12:44 PM ET after 175 bids from 42 bidders ... marking the end of Billy's tumultuous saga with FYRE Festival.

Police in a small town in Pennsylvania can apparently punch a suspect multiple times on camera and keep on working like nothing happened ... because that's what's playing out right now in Meadville.

Here's the deal ... a few officers from the Meadville Police Department got into a violent altercation with a man they were trying to arrest -- and the brutal interaction was caught on camera, prompting a use of force review.

Meadville City Manager Maryann Menanno tells TMZ ... the officers involved were NOT suspended and are still on active duty as normal.

The woman who Quinshon Judkins allegedly roughed up earlier this month told cops she had "visible bruises" and "was still in pain" several days after the incident, new 911 audio reveals.

In the call, which TMZ Sports has obtained, the woman can be heard telling an officer she was at the temporary headquarters of the Fort Lauderdale Police Department on July 12, but it was closed.

She explained she wanted to report that a "high-profile male" she had been in a relationship with physically assaulted her in the early morning hours of July 8. She added she did not reach out to police that day because "I thought that we could work through it and obviously we couldn't so I'm trying to do the right thing now."

Famous runner Fauja Singh -- believed to have been the oldest marathon finisher in history -- was tragically killed in a hit-and-run accident. He was 114 years old.

The fatal incident happened on Monday in Singh's home village of Beas Pind in India ... when he was struck by a vehicle while trying to cross a road. He succumbed to his injuries at a hospital.

His son, Harvinder Singh, told Asia News International the driver of the vehicle that struck his father drove off ... and law enforcement is now gathering details.

Beyoncé may just get her unreleased music back -- and soon -- 'cause a tracking device was placed inside the stolen items!

Here's the scoop ... TMZ obtained 911 audio from the Atlanta PD in which you can hear one of Beyoncé's crew members explaining to the dispatcher that someone had broken into his rented Jeep parked in a garage while he was eating in a nearby restaurant on July 8.

The caller says his computers were stolen with a locating device inside ... and he can pinpoint where the electronics are going on his iPhone.

5:10 PM PT -- A judge granted Aida's request for a temporary restraining order but denied her request for temporary sole custody of their two children.

Columbus Short's wife says he's been roughing her up for years ... and she's got photos of her alleged injuries.

Aida Abramyan-Short beelined it to court Monday and filed for a temporary restraining order against the actor, claiming he got violent with her as recently as last week ... on the same day he claims she busted his eye open and abused a 10-week-old puppy.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Aida claims she was doing laundry July 7 while Columbus was boozing ... and she says he snapped at her and then put his hands on her.

Sam Haskell Jr. -- the accused wife-murderer and son of legendary TV agent Sam Haskell -- left a suicide note referencing his children, but there's a twist ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... before taking his own life at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles last Saturday, Haskell left behind a note proclaiming he would miss his 3 best friends -- his children.

What's interesting ... Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman told us Haskell had purchased a one-way plane ticket for himself to Japan with his girlfriend before he was arrested, so there's evidence he was going to abandon his kids.

Beyoncé's unreleased music was stolen from a Jeep in Atlanta, and now police are investigating.

The Atlanta Police Department says on July 8, officers were dispatched to Krog Street Market after a caller reported a theft from a motor vehicle.

Police say when they arrived, two men -- Beyoncé's choreographer Christopher Grant and dancer Diandre Blue -- told them they parked their black Jeep Wagoneer rental in the parking deck and went to the market for an hour ... and when they returned, the trunk window had been damaged and two suitcases were missing.

Elizabeth Chambers -- Armie Hammer's ex-wife -- was the target of a frightening attempted break-in at her Los Angeles area home ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us the incident was first reported as a burglary suspect on the property Monday morning, when someone was seen trying to gain access to her residence.

We're told Chambers wasn’t home at the time, but was monitoring her property remotely when she spotted the intruder on surveillance footage and quickly alerted police.

Donald Trump watched two soccer teams fight, fight, fight for a championship ... one year after he jumped up and shouted those words to a crowd after he was shot.

The President of the United States was at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey Sunday on the one-year anniversary of the shooting in Butler, PA that nearly claimed his life ... waving to the crowd who were on-hand to watch the FIFA Club World Cup.

Check out the pics ... there's President Trump in a dark blue suit with a red tie, stoically watching the action between Chelsea FC -- a London-based club -- and Paris Saint-Germain F.C.

This is a BIG DEAL ... the judge in the Menendez case says the new evidence unearthed in the murder case -- if true -- makes a compelling case to throw out their convictions ... which would mean they could be released even without a parole board hearing.

According to new court documents, obtained by TMZ, L.A. County Superior Court Judge William C. Ryan, has reviewed the 2 pieces of new evidence -- the first is a letter purporting to be from Erik Menendez to his cousin, Andy Cano, which would corroborate Cano's testimony about Jose Menendez molesting Erik.

The second piece of evidence -- a declaration from Roy Rossello, a former member of Menudo, who claims he was anally raped and orally copulated by Jose in either 1983 or 1984. This declaration, according to Menendez attorney Mark Geragos, shows the prosecution was off base in characterizing Jose as "not the kind of man" who would abuse his children. Also, the judge in the murder trial severely limited testimony about alleged sexual abuse.