Weapons & Guns

J Prince is coming to his family's defense following Takeoff's murder ... as his son J Prince Jr. has the center of controversy and conspiracy theories since the dreadful November 1 shooting.

The Rap-A-Lot Records founder was a guest on Chris Gotti's 'Givin Them The Business' podcast where he spoke to the rumors Prince Jr. was cold and heartless for walking past Takeoff's lifeless body immediately after the shooting.

J Prince points out the clip the internet witnessed was only a few seconds throughout the entire day Prince Jr., and their cousin Mike, had spent with Takeoff. He also said Prince Jr. was frazzled from having to go to a bathroom to wash Takeoff's blood off his hands.

Prince Jr. had allegedly reached behind Takeoff's head in an attempt to administer aid, but the Migos rapper died at the scene at the age of 28.

J Prince's statements will likely provide some clarity to social media users, but naysayers should know Houston Police don't consider anyone else a suspect except Patrick Xavier Clark, the man they arrested and charged for Takeoff's murder.

50 Cent is taking the high road ... despite all his social media posts to the contrary, he's apologizing to Megan Thee Stallion for not believing her testimony about Tory Lanez shooting her.

The G-Unit legend switched from promoting season 2 of "BMF" to reflecting on his wild Instagram posts where he compared the embattled hottie to Jussie Smollett's lying ways via a meme that went viral.

50 explains he was taken aback by Megan's infamous interview with CBS' Gayle King where she denied having a sexual relationship with Tory -- which we now know was a lie -- but 50 says that fib prompted him to disbelieve everything else she said for nearly a year!!!

Like many people following the case details, 50 says once the mountain of evidence came out, it began to sway his opinion ... with Tory's jailhouse phone call with Kelsey Harris sealing the deal for him.

50's probably one of the least likely rappers to swallow his pride and offer Megan a mea culpa -- trolling is his thing, after all -- but Soulja Boy is calling for the entire hip hop community to do just that ... apologize!!!

SB recently went on the warpath during an Instagram Live session where he threatened to beat up Tory (if) he's ever released from prison, and wished gang rape on him throughout his stint behind bars.

Alec Baldwin might've settled things on the civil side of the 'Rust' tragedy, but he's not out of the woods criminally ... as there's still a decision that has to be made, and we've learned it will come down by month's end.

Santa Fe's First Judicial District Attorney's Office tells TMZ ... the D.A. is set to make an announcement about whether she'll pursue criminal charges against anyone that was directly or indirectly involved in the death of DP Halyna Hutchins.

We're told everyone involved -- including Baldwin -- is under the D.A.'s microscope, and any filing decisions will be made by the end of January.

Baldwin could face charges for his role in Hutchins' death -- although the actor has repeatedly denied any responsibility ... insisting he didn't pull the trigger, and other parties were to blame.

It's been more than a year since Hutchins died ... and in light of her widowed husband settling his wrongful death suit entirely late last year in dramatic fashion -- which entailed him stepping in as an EP of the revived film -- everyone assumed the saga was over.

We'd already reported the civil settlement does not affect the criminal investigation -- which has already wrapped, with the findings sent over to the D.A.'s office a while ago at this point. So, the question ... what's the holdup?

The answer is unclear, but the end of the tunnel is in sight. The D.A. hasn't said what charges are being considered, but until she says otherwise -- it's all fair game.

World shooting champion Jorge Ballesteros has tragically passed away after reportedly suffering a gunshot wound to the head. He was only 39.

According to the Spanish news outlet ABC Deportes, Ballesteros was found inside his car at the La Vaguada shopping center in Madrid on Monday.

He was transferred to the local hospital ... but sadly, passed away on Tuesday.

The Spanish athlete's former sponsor, Double Alpha Academy, confirmed the terrible news ... saying he was dedicated to the sport of the International Practical Shooting Confederation.

"His achievements in IPSC were many, but his crowning achievement was his IPSC World Champion title, which he won at the peak of his career," the academy said in a statement.

"Jorge's friendly personality, kindness and helpfulness in the shooting community will be greatly missed."

The Royal Spanish Olympic Shooting Federation also released a statement ... calling Ballesteros "the country's most representative and award-winning shooter" in IPSC history.

Ballesteros -- who was also a national police officer -- was a true winner ... he was a 17-time Spanish champ, 6-time Extreme Euro Open champ, and a 3-time IPSC European champ.

He also won the IPSC World Championship and the World Police Games title.

Ballesteros's last Instagram post was on Dec. 3rd after he was beaten by Christian Sailer in the World Championship ... saying he was passing the torch to the new winner.

"Sometimes things come this way and I must accept that life sometimes has different things prepared for us from what we expected or planned," Ballesteros said in the caption.

He leaves behind a wife and two children.

New photos show the horror from the night Tory Lanez shot Meg Thee Stallion in the foot after an argument in Hollywood ... including the damage done to Meg's foot and the weapon used to commit the crime.

We've obtained several trial exhibits from the Meg and Tory case that show everything from the blood in the backseat of the SUV, to the condition and X-rays of Meg's foot after she was hospitalized.

You can see blood splattered in the vehicle, from when Meg got back inside after Tory shot her ... there's also blood smeared on a suitcase that was in the vehicle.

For the first time, we're also seeing the pistol Tory used to shoot Meg, laying on the ground near the backseat of the SUV.

As we reported, Tory was found guilty of all three charges against him -- felony negligent discharge of a firearm, assault with a semiautomatic firearm and carrying a loaded and unregistered firearm back in December.

"Rhythm of the Night" singer El DeBarge is not dancing 'til the morning light, because he got busted in the middle of the night ... after a run-in with cops at a gas station.

Burbank PD tells TMZ ... officers slapped the handcuffs on El around 3:40 AM Sunday. They didn't pull him over, he was already stopped at a gas station when they noticed he had expired tags -- but when they approached, they say an expandable metal baton in plain sight in El's vehicle.

The baton is an illegal weapon, and that prompted cops to further search the vehicle ... which is when they allegedly found found pepper spray and suspected narcotics.

They also found out DeBarge didn't have a valid driver's license.

The singer was arrested and booked on several charges ... including possession of a leaded cane or baton, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Law enforcement tells us they believe the narcotic is heroin.

You'll recall, cops busted him for felony vandalism back in 2018 ... after he allegedly took a wrench to some guy's windshield during an argument.

French Montana and members of his team were desperate to find safety in the seconds following the chaos of gunfire in Miami Gardens ... ducking into a fast food joint.

We've obtained video from inside a KFC restaurant where French and others gathered to find safe shelter. French isn't saying much in the clip, but you see him peering outside toward the scene.

A witness inside the restaurant tells us French remained there for 30 to 40 minutes, while cops arrived and victims were taken to the hospital.

As we reported, as many as 10 people were hit by bullets Thursday night when shots rang out into a crowd of people who had gathered at The Licking restaurant to celebrate the release of French's new mixtape, "Coke Boys 6: Money Heist Edition."

It's unclear what led to the shooting, but one witness on the scene tells us they believe it was the result of an attempted robbery during the celebration.

A rep for French confirmed to us he was not injured in the melee, and everyone is expected to survive ... including a bodyguard who was listed in critical condition.

In a statement Friday, French said, "Last night, I was in Miami celebrating the release of my CB6 mixtape w/ friends at a local restaurant. We unfortunately were at the wrong place, at the wrong time when an incident took place that left people hurt. Our thoughts & prayers are w/ the victims & families at this time."

TMZ obtained new video of Cage The Elephant vocalist Matt Shultz being put inside the back of a police car with his hands cuffed behind his back after his arrest this week for possessing illegal guns in NYC.

Check out this footage of the two-time Grammy-winning musician sporting a formal shirt and tie and surrounded by police Thursday morning outside The Bowery Hotel in the East Village. Cops took Shultz to a police station, where they processed him for criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of a firearm, both felonies.

According to law enforcement ... Shultz's problems started late Wednesday night while he was a guest at the hotel. A worker spotted Shultz brandishing a handgun in a first-floor bathroom and reported him to a superior, who, in turn, called the NYPD.

We're told police responded to Shultz's room and knocked on the door .... Shultz answered the knock and stepped out into the hallway.

Cops allegedly asked Shultz if he had a firearm ... to which, Shultz replied, "two .45 caliber guns." When pressed about whether he still had the weapons, Shultz told cops he "may, but did not know," leading to his arrest, police said.

Investigators then got a search warrant and recovered the two loaded firearms from inside Shultz's room.

A 6-year-old student shot a teacher inside their first grade classroom at a Virginia elementary school ... and now the teacher is fighting for her life.

The shooting went down Friday at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, with the student opening fire on a female teacher ... according to police.

Cops say the teacher, who is in her 30s, suffered life-threatening injuries ... and the 6-year-old child is in police custody after using a handgun in the shooting.

It's interesting ... police say the shooting was not an accident, and it sounds like only a single shot was fired.

The school, which has about 550 students in kindergarten through fifth grade, was evacuated after the shooting ... with parents reuniting with their children outside a gymnasium door.

French Montana is thankful to be alive and that those injured in the shooting in Miami Gardens are all expected to make it ... breaking his silence on the scary incident.

French just addressed Thursday night's terrifying ordeal, writing, "Last night, I was in Miami celebrating the release of my CB6 mixtape w/ friends at a local restaurant. We unfortunately were at the wrong place, at the wrong time when an incident took place that left people hurt. Our thoughts & prayers are w/ the victims & families at this time."

Initial reports stated French was filming a music video at The Licking in Miami Gardens, but a spokesperson for the rapper tells us all photos and video taken were to celebrate CB6.

We're also told French was not injured, and those who were hit by gunfire are all expected to pull through.

As we reported, shots rang out Thursday night -- and as many as 10 people were struck by gunfire -- many were injured.

A French Montana music video turned into a terrifying ordeal when gunshots rang out ... and multiple people have reportedly been hit.

French and his team were in Miami Gardens Thursday filming a video outside The Licking restaurant. At some point, at least one person opened fire, injuring up to 10 people ... according to Miami WSVN 7News.

At this point, it's unclear if French was hit ... but a witness on the scene tells us his security got him out of the area safely and without incident.

We've obtained video of French on the scene before the shooting, and everything seemed to going smoothly. However, in additional video -- from after the shots rang out -- you can see the chaos.

We do not know who fired the gun or if it was more than one person.

Miami 7 says at this point, there have been no fatalities reported.

We spoke with French earlier in the day Thursday about the loss of his friend Takeoff, and advice he gave Quavo on dealing with the death.

The manufacturer of the knife Idaho murder suspect Bryan Kohberger allegedly used to butcher 4 students says cops reached out to them for info ... but the company has no records tying him to any purchase.

According to the arrest warrant affidavit, cops found a sheath for a KA-BAR knife at the murder house, with Kohberger's DNA on it. KA-BAR sells both to retailers and directly to consumers.

KA-BAR Director of Sales and Marketing Joseph Bradley tells TMZ ... Moscow police and other law enforcement agencies involved in the murder case contacted the company, specifically asking about KA-BAR knives and sheaths.

The company says law enforcement made the first contact after the Nov. 13 quadruple murder and asked KA-BAR to identify the sheath ... and KA-BAR confirmed it was one of theirs.

KA-BAR says they don't have any records of someone using the name Bryan Kohberger to purchase a knife sheath or any other products directly from them.

We're told the KA-BAR knife that would fit the sheath found at the crime scene is a 7-inch utility knife, which is traditionally used as a tool. The company says it's been making the knife since World War II, and it can be used for hunting and small tasks around a campsite ... like chopping firewood or cutting wire and rope.

Bryan Kohberger's DNA was found on a knife sheath at the scene of the Idaho murders ... and authorities made a match by rooting through trash at his family's house and finding his dad's DNA, which had enough of a match to the DNA taken from the sheath for cops to pin the murders on Bryan.

According to the arrest warrant affidavit just released, authorities had Kohberger in their crosshairs less than 2 weeks after the murders. As we reported, cops were on the hunt for a white Hyundai Elantra. On November 13 -- the date of the murders -- there were several videos showing the white Elantra making 3 passes by the murder house before finally stopping at 4:04 AM.

Multiple surveillance videos show the car leaving the area of the murder house at 4:20 AM at a high rate of speed.

Police initiated a video canvas around the murder scene and it appears the car traveled toward Washington State University, which Kohberger attends -- 10 miles from the murder house.

On November 25, cops released info to law enforcement that they were on the lookout for a white Hyundai Elantra. On November 29, a WSU cop pulled up a hit on Kohberger's vehicle and license plate number. Cops went to his apartment in the middle of the night and observed a white Elantra sitting in the driveway.

Now, what we didn't know -- one of the survivors in the murder house says she saw a man 5'10" or taller, not very muscular but athletically built with bushy eyebrows, wearing black clothing with a mask.

Her description is absolutely chilling ... she says the man walked right past her as she stood in a "frozen shock phase," and then he walked past her and left the house.

She had only looked out of her bedroom because she'd heard a female voice, possibly murder victim Kaylee Goncalves, say something like "there's someone here." She also heard a male voice say, "It's ok, I'm going to help you."

Cops got a driver's license picture of Kohberger who had a listed height of 6', 185 lbs and the pic shows he has bushy eyebrows.

Cops say they have WSU cams showing Kohberger's car leaving the campus area at 2:44 AM on Nov. 13. They also have a cell phone number and the records show on the night of the murders, at 2:47 AM the phone left his residence and traveled south through Pullman, Washington. It then stopped reporting, but picked up again at 5:30 AM and showed the phone traveling back to his residence. Cops think he deliberately disabled the phone to conceal his travels.

They also have WSU camera footage of him returning at 5:25 AM.

The cell records also indicate Kohberger returned to the scene of the crime just a few hours later -- between 9:12 AM and 9:21 AM. Worth noting is the fact police were not called to the home until 11:58 AM.

BTW ... the cell phone records also show since June 22, he had been near the murder house at least 12 times prior to the murders, and they were typically in the late evening or early morning hours.

And, there's this ... Kohberger applied for an internship with the Pullman PD in Fall 2022.

Bryan Kohberger is accused of committing a murder that has markings of a horror movie ... a movie in which his own sister starred.

Amanda Kohberger has a single movie credit ... "Two Days Back," shot in 2011. The premise -- a group of students who are viciously stabbed to death with knives and other weapons.

The group of "environmentally-conscious students" take a hike in the woods. Their mission is to catch people who are illegally foresting.

The murderer befriends the group of students and then begins the massacre.

The director, Kevin Boon, was shocked when he learned of the connection between Amanda and her brother ... "You're f***ing kidding me, her brother is that guy?" Boon told the New York Post. He had kind words for Amanda, saying she was "a lovely woman who was very nice. I liked her a lot."

As you know, Bryan Kohberger is accused of butchering 4 University of Idaho students to death as they slept in their beds.

Eerie.

Bryan Kohberger is flying private to Idaho right now to face murder charges -- and it seems like the teeny-tiny plane he's on needed a break mid-flight... ditto for the suspect himself.

TMZ has obtained photos of Kohberger being led in and out of Flightstar Wednesday -- a fixed-base operator at Willard Airport in Champaign, IL ... where he and a handful of armed officers landed at around 11 AM PT while he was being transported across the country.

Check out the pics ... you can see the aircraft Kohberger and the PA law enforcement officials are traveling in -- a 2015 fixed-wing, single-engine Pilatus that seats 11 ... and which we've learned is actually owned and operated by the Pennsylvania State Police.

Eyewitnesses tell us the plane appeared to be getting refueled ... while Kohberger appeared to be taking a whiz inside. During this period, we're told the entire airport was placed on lockdown -- with everyone being evacuated, including employees -- while he was in there.

A few minutes later, our sources tell us Kohberger was led back to the plane ... and they took off without incident.

If you're wondering why this plane needed to refuel on a flight that typically takes around 4 hours ... well, it has to do with the capabilities of this particular aircraft and the length of this journey. The Pilatus can go about 1,700 nautical miles on a single tank.

Going from Pennsylvania to Moscow is about 1,800 nautical miles ... so they were playing it safe.

In any case, Kohberger's almost there -- as of this post, he's somewhere over South Dakota, so Idaho is just a couple states away. Remember, he agreed to be extradited without putting up a fight ... and now, he'll learn the full scope of the charges and evidence against him.

Video has now surfaced of Bryan Kohberger's first traffic stop in Indiana, and the officer who pulled him over was asking a lot of questions about a "mass shooting."

Kohberger was behind the wheel with his father in the passenger seat, when a patrol officer from the Hancock County Sheriff's Dept. pulled them over for following too close to another vehicle.

The officer begins asking questions about where they were headed. At one point, Kohberger's dad mentions they were coming from Washington State University. Bryan seems to interrupt and talk over him, as if it's not a subject he wants out there. As you know, the University was only 9 miles from the Idaho quadruple murder scene.

The father then brings up what he calls a "mass shooting" that went down at WSU earlier that day. The officer seems curious and asks several questions about it, and then the conversation turns to where Kohberger and his dad were heading.

The officer didn't connect the fact that Moscow, Idaho police put out an alert they were on the hunt for a white Hyundai Elantra ... the same type of car the Kohbergers were in.

TMZ broke the story ... there was a second traffic stop a short time later where an officer from a different agency pulled them over for the same offense and also didn't connect the dots.