Weapons & Guns

The man suspected of gunning down Young Dolph says he's waving the white flag to the authorities over the charges against him -- charges of which he says he's innocent.

23-year-old Justin Johnson took to his social media page Saturday to both profess his innocence, and to also announce he'd be turning himself into the cops. The strange part ... he says he won't be doing so until Monday.

Using his rap IG account, going by the stage name Straight Drop, Johnson writes ... "Turning Myself In Monday @201 I'm Innocent I'll Be Back Sooner Than You Can Blink." Shortly before this message, he posted a video of a local news package that covered his criminal history ... which included an interview with a criminal court judge from Shelby County, TN.

The judge recounts how Johnson had previously carried himself in a separate case, making it seem like he was compliant and, later, a well-behaved prisoner after accepting his fate ... only to be released on probation early. Johnson seems to think the judge's words here are actually vouching for his character, because he wrote ... "Next time post the REAL… BS ass Blogs."

Of course, Johnson's timeline of taking the weekend to himself definitely isn't gonna fly with the feds ... who are actively pursuing him in a manhunt right now, and probably don't want to wait until Monday to have the guy in their custody.

It's unclear where Johnson is at the moment, but he obviously has access to his Instagram page, and presumably his phone too. By the same token, he's also eluded the cops thus far -- so perhaps he really is on his own schedule at this point.

As we reported ... Johnson was announced as the prime suspect in Dolph's killing, and he's currently wanted on a slew of charges -- including first-degree murder.

He also appears to have shot a music video once upon a time at the same home where the authorities retrieved what they believed to be the getaway vehicle used the day Dolph was shot and killed.

Young Dolph's shooting suspect certainly didn't cover his tracks well -- twisting his music career with murder, perhaps handing investigators much-needed clues to connect him to the case.

Cops announced Wednesday 23-year-old Justin Johnson is wanted for murdering Dolph. Johnson is a Memphis-area rapper who goes by the name Straight Drop -- and used areas around the city as the background to many of his music videos.

However, it's his music video for the song "Going Straight In" released on November 21, 2021, that had fans making an eerie connection.

Shortly after Dolph was killed, detectives tracked down the getaway car -- a white Mercedes -- to a Memphis-area home. You can see very clearly, Johnson uses the same home as the backdrop to his "Going Straight In" music video.

Shockingly enough -- Dolph was murdered November 17, which means that the music video was actually posted to YouTube AFTER he was gunned down.

There's been a break in the investigation into Young Dolph's death  ... law enforcement says a suspect has been identified and is wanted for murder.

The U.S. Marshals, Memphis Police Department and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation say one of the suspects is a 23-year-old man named Justin Johnson.

Authorities released a mug shot of the suspect Wednesday and say Johnson is wanted for a slew of charges, including first-degree murder.

According to his social media page, Johnson appears to be a local rapper who goes by the name StraightDrop. His page is flooded with pics of himself flaunting clothes, money and expensive cars.

Law enforcement says Johnson is on the TBI Most Wanted list, has ties to organized crime and should be considered armed and dangerous ... and there's a combined reward of up to $15,000 for information leading to his capture.

As we reported ... Young Dolph was gunned down in November while he was inside a cookie shop in Memphis, and 2 masked gunmen were caught on surveillance footage before fleeing in a getaway car.

The feds allege Johnson shot Young Dolph to death ... and they say he also has an outstanding warrant for violating his federal supervised release from a separate weapons offense.

George Floyd's young niece is on the mend after what seems like a targeted attack on family members in his hometown of Houston.

Four-year-old Arianna was struck with a bullet in her torso Saturday while she slept in her bed at home. The bullet was fired by an unidentified suspect, or suspects, who opened fire into her family's house ... according to Houston's ABC13.

She was taken to a hospital where she underwent surgery and was stabilized. Arianna's father says she suffered a punctured lung and liver, as well as 3 broken ribs, but she's recovering.

As for who might've done this ... no arrests yet, and cops aren't saying anything about possible culprits -- however, Arianna's family tells ABC13 they know the shooter ... but, for some reason, they believe the incident was "just a coincidence."

Apparently, Arianna had attended some protests last year to honor her slain uncle. She's technically his great-niece ... being the daughter of his niece, Bianca, whose mother is George's sister, LaTonya.

Lil Wayne's security guard has apparently had a change of heart, now wanting to file charges against the rapper for allegedly pulling a gun on him after previously deciding against it ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... Weezy's guard is now pushing for prosecution against his former boss. Remember, he said the opposite when the alleged incident went down -- that he didn't want Wayne prosecuted -- even though he was the one who called cops.

Unclear what charges he's gunning for, but we do know this ... the guard claims LW hit him in the head and face, so presumably an assault charge of some kind -- if not more.

There's a big problem -- our sources say the case doesn't appear strong on its face and will probably go nowhere. Cops haven't even tried speaking with Wayne so far ... a sign it's not destined for prosecution.

We broke the story ... the guard alleges he and Wayne got into an argument at the rapper's Hidden Hills home after being accused of snapping/leaking pics. He says the argument got violent and Wayne brandished an AR-15. The guard says he skedaddled and called 5-0. Our sources say cops had issues with the guard's story from the get-go.

The 27-year-old brother of Washington Football Team star Montez Sweat was shot and killed on Tuesday in Virginia ... cops said Wednesday.

According to Henrico Police, officers responded to a call of a shooting in Henrico at around 4:09 p.m.

Cops say when they arrived on the scene, they found Anthony Sweat suffering from apparent gunshot wounds... and pronounced him dead at the scene.

Further details surrounding the shooting have not yet been released ... cops did note, however, that no one else was injured. They added no arrests have been made.

Police said an investigation into it all is underway ... and they're urging anyone with more information on the incident to call 804-928-0279.

Montez, meanwhile, missed Wednesday's practice mourning the death of Anthony ... and head coach Ron Rivera called the situation "rough" after the team's workout.

"It is rough," Rivera said, "and our thoughts and prayers are with the families."

25-year-old Montez has been a star for the WFT since being picked in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft ... logging 21 sacks in 42 games.

A number of celebrities have reached out to the family of Valentina Orellana-Peralta, the 14-year-old who was shot and killed during the standoff at an L.A. Burlington Coat Factory, offering to pay their funeral expenses.

The family's lawyer, Ben Crump, tells TMZ celebs in the Hispanic community and beyond have offered to foot the bill for Valentina's funeral, and to a person they wanted their names to remain confidential. But he says the support the family has been receiving is overwhelming.

Crump says so far, neither the LAPD nor the City of Los Angeles has made a similar offer.

As we reported, LAPD cops rushed to the Burlington Coat Factory last week after getting a 911 call of a possible shooting inside the store. When police arrived they found a man swinging a bicycle chair with a lock attached as he swung at shoppers, striking 3 women and brutally bloodying one of them.

One of the cops fired 3 shots with AR-15, killing the suspect, but one of the bullets ricocheted off the floor and into the dressing room where Valentina and her mom were hiding.  The bullet struck Valentina in the chest, and she died in her mother's arms.

The LAPD just released police body cam footage showing the moment cops fired a round of fatal shots inside a Burlington Coat Factory ... killing the suspect and a teenage girl hiding in a dressing room.

The incident went down Thursday at a Burlington Coat Factory in North Hollywood, CA ... where police responded to a call about an assault and fatally shot the suspect, who was attacking shoppers with a bike lock and chain.

In the police footage released Monday, you see cops armed to the teeth walking through the store in search of the suspect, when they come across blood on the floor and a woman writhing in pain, with the suspect standing in an aisle.

The video shows an officer with an assault rifle firing what appears to be 3 shots ... and the suspect crumples to the floor.

However, police say they were unaware there was a 14-year-old girl cowering in a dressing room behind the suspect ... and one of the bullets struck her in the chest, killing her.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office ruled the girl's death a homicide. She was identified as Valentina Orellana-Peralta and she was in the store shopping for a dress for her upcoming birthday party.

There's an LAPD regulation that says an officer can use deadly force against a fleeing suspect if the suspect poses a grave danger to others. In this case, the suspect had attacked 3 women with the lock and chain, drawing blood. In addition, the initial 911 call was for possible shots fired.

But, there's another part of the regulation that says when officers use their guns they must be aware of their surroundings. Here, shoppers had been in the store, and the walls -- especially those in the dressing rooms -- are paper thin. That could be problematic for the officer.

Kim Potter -- the MN cop on trial for shooting and killing Daunte Wright -- has just been found guilty of manslaughter.

The jury returned the verdict Thursday after starting deliberations Monday, finding Potter guilty of one count each of first-degree manslaughter and second-degree manslaughter.

As we reported ... Potter took the stand Friday and was emotional as she was questioned about what happened in the moments leading up to Wright's fatal interaction with cops.

Potter started sobbing and grabbing for tissues as she fought back tears to tell the court, "I remember yelling Taser, Taser, Taser and nothing happened. And then, he told me I shot him."

Remember ... Potter always maintained she thought she was reaching for her Taser, when in fact, she pulled out her firearm.

Wright's shooting death back in April was captured on police bodycam footage, which showed the exchange between Potter and 20-year-old Wright, who was trying to flee from police after cops made a traffic stop for an outstanding warrant.

A Miami Airport cop saw things quickly spin out of his control during a struggle with a traveler ... getting so bad, the officer was forced to pull his gun to get the guy to back off.

Check out the video, you see the man and the cop tied up -- with the cop seemingly on the losing end -- before he's able to break free. After distancing himself from the man, the officer pulls his gun, pointing it at his aggressor and getting things under control.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, officers were called to the gate after an "unruly passenger" named Gregorio Serranopaca, jumped in front of an airport golf cart, snatched the keys and sat on the hood, demanding to speak to a supervisor.

Serranopaca was allegedly pissed he had missed a chartered flight, and took it out on other staffers.

Once cops arrived, things escalated, triggering a large brawl between cops and Serranopaca. At one point, you see another man, Alberto Yanez Suarez, attempt to pull officers off of Serranopaca.

After being struck several times, the officer then backs away, pulling his gun and getting things under control.

Fetty Wap made a trip to the airport that ended with handcuffs after police allegedly got an alert about his ankle monitor.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Fetty was at Newark Liberty airport Friday, when for whatever reason, cops got an alert about his ankle monitor. We're told after officers spoke to FW and ran his info, they discovered he had a warrant out for his arrest.

Details about the warrant aren't exactly clear, but we know it was for public nuisance out of North Bergen, NJ.

We're told Fetty was arrested and booked for the warrant, but will be able to make bail and get released.

It's not the first run-in Fetty's had with the law lately, he was taken in by the FBI back in October. The feds claimed Fetty and his associates helped to distribute over 100 kilograms of cocaine, heroin, fentanyl and crack cocaine across Long Island and New Jersey.

Agents say the investigation yielded $1.5 million in cash, 16 kilograms of cocaine, 2 kilograms of heroin, fentanyl pills, pistols, handguns and a rifle.

Fetty was able to come up with his $500,000 bail for that arrest, so it's possible that's why he had the ankle monitor.

Alec Baldwin's phone might contain crucial evidence in the "Rust" shooting investigation ... at least cops think so, and that's why they now have a warrant to comb through it.

The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Dept. got a New Mexico judge to sign off Thursday on a search warrant for Alec's mobile phone ... a move that comes nearly 2 months after the accidental shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

According to docs, obtained by TMZ, Alec told investigators about emails between head armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed and himself, in which she showed him different styles of guns and knives for the film. He says he requested a bigger gun, and she showed him an antique Colt.

We know Alec was using a replica of an 1873 Colt 45 at the time of the shooting.

Remember, during his ABC interview ... Alec said he's sure he's not responsible for Halyna's death, although he wouldn't say who was. District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies begged to differ though ... saying neither Baldwin nor anyone else who had contact with the weapon was in the clear yet. She stressed the investigation was ongoing.

In the docs, cops say they're trying to gather information about the production from before filming started. They clearly feel Alec's emails and/or texts might contain some of that data. When they asked for his phone, they were told to get a warrant.

One interesting anecdote about Hannah -- during an interview with detectives, they say she said she didn't believe anyone on the "Rust" production would be malicious enough to bring live ammo on the set.

That's weird because, as we reported, her attorney told us he thinks someone sabotaged Hannah by intentionally mixing live rounds with dummy ammunition. The D.A.'s dismissed that theory.

Killer Mike says the solutions for fixing the recent crime wave in Los Angeles are simple at face value ... but it might take some time and serious effort to actually implement.

We got the Atlanta rapper and activist Wednesday at LAX and asked him why crime is on the rise in Hollywood -- Mike says the issues are a result of failings in education, opportunities and housing.

Killer Mike says we're dealing with the brunt of 25 years of people growing up without trade skills for decent jobs and affordable places to live, and the pandemic is making things worse.

As we've reported, there's an alarming trend of home invasions, burglaries and armed robberies in affluent neighborhoods in L.A. ... with celeb victims including Dorit Kemsley, Terrence J and Clarence Avant and his wife, Jackie, who was shot and killed inside their Beverly Hills home.

Killer Mike says the tide can turn if America starts investing in these areas ... but it's going to take at least 5 years to see the results.

In the meantime, Killer Mike says people worried about home invasions and robbers should embrace the 2nd Amendment ... and he (jokingly) tells us which 5 guns he thinks every American should own.

Damon Arnette -- who was cut by the Raiders after he recorded himself waving around firearms while threatening somebody -- has just been signed by the Dolphins.

The team announced the move Wednesday ... saying it's added Arnette to its practice squad just over one month after the Raiders released him.

The move is surprising -- because while Arnette, a former first-round pick, is talented, his off-field issues have certainly raised some concerns.

The 25-year-old defensive back has been hit with 2 lawsuits in the past year -- with one alleging he injured a woman during a car crash in 2020.

Of course, disturbing video of Arnette brandishing guns also surfaced in November -- and in the clip, the former Ohio State star can be heard making threats to somebody.

"I swear to God I will kill you, n****," Arnette says in the footage. "On everything I love, I will kill you, n****. You talking crazy."

Raiders general manager Mike Mayock said after releasing the corner that the video was "unacceptable."

"We can not stand the video of Damon with a gun threatening to take a life," Mayock told reporters at the time ... "The bottom line; the Raiders will not tolerate this type of behavior."

Another interesting piece from yesterday's hearing, Holley tells us, "On cross-examination, Detective Stogner admitted that the bullet fragments allegedly removed from Ms. Pete’s ankles cannot be located."

Of course, if available, the fragments would be hard evidence to prove it was a bullet, and not glass in Meg's foot. If they're missing, it leaves the door open for other possibilities.

Megan's got big issues with what the independent witness told police about her arguing with Kelsey ... and she makes a good point.

Megan just tweeted, "I've been shot and the focus of some these headlines are dismissing that I was attacked with a weapon while I was unarmed and trying to paint it as a cat fight between friends."

Fact is ... even if there was a dispute with Kelsey inside the SUV, we know Megan was shot while she was standing outside the vehicle. Megan's openly said she got out of the car because she didn't want to argue anymore ... which makes the dispute almost irrelevant to the moment the trigger was pulled.

An independent witness told cops they saw Megan Thee Stallion and her female friend, Kelsey, fighting just moments before Meg was shot in the foot ... a piece of evidence Tory Lanez's team feels cast serious doubt on what Meg said about him being the shooter.

During Tuesday's preliminary hearing a detective testified this independent witness -- who allegedly saw the shooting happen -- claimed the gun's muzzle flash went off closer to Kelsey than Tory.

Tory's attorney, Shawn Holley, says that muzzle flash detail is "corroborated by the gunshot residue found on the other female's hands." She also tells us, "It was further established that Megan gave several inconsistent accounts of what happened that night and that she omitted key information to the police."

Holley is almost certainly referring to what Meg first told responding officers, she had glass, and not a bullet, in her foot. Meg later claimed she only said it was glass because she was afraid if she told cops there was a Black man in the car with a gun, Tory could get shot.

Remember, this was the month after George Floyd was murdered.

Still, Holley adds, "We look forward to the opportunity to cross examine her at trial about the numerous inconsistencies in her story.”

It's a long since cold case that's suddenly been solved -- human remains discovered back in the 80s in a garbage bag have finally been identified as Frank "Frankie" Little Jr. ... the guitarist and songwriter for the O'Jays.

In 1982, police found the bag behind a business in Twinsburg, Ohio. At the time, they could tell the person had been stabbed to death several years prior, but they were not able to figure out his identity.

It was only 2 months ago when a breakthrough came courtesy of DNA technology and a non-profit org. Police explained, "In October 2021, the DNA Doe Project provided the names of potential living relatives, who were able to provide Frank's name."

Police say, that a close relative [of Little's] provided a DNA sample, which was analyzed by a crime lab, and sure enough ... Frank's identity was confirmed.

Frank played with the O'Jays in the R&B group's early days ... writing several songs including "Pretty Words" and "Oh How You Hurt Me."

It wouldn't be until after his tenure that the group scored its biggest hits, including "Back Stabbers," "For the Love of Money" and "Love Train."

After his run with the O'Jays, he joined the U.S. Army, served 2 years in Vietnam and eventually went back to his hometown of Cleveland ... his last known residence.