Weapons & Guns

Plaxico Burress is weighing in on the Ja Morant controversy ... calling on the Memphis Grizzlies superstar to learn from his mistakes -- after Morant was suspended for brandishing a gun on an Instagram Live video over the weekend.

"If you can't learn anything, learn from me," Burress said Tuesday on "The Carton Show." He added, "Make better decisions because you really don't want for him to have that label being that he's so young. He has the opportunity to be the face of the NBA. He's that great of a player."

Of course, Burress is speaking from personal experience ... in 2008, the former New York Giants wide receiver, who caught the game-winning touchdown in Super Bowl XLII, suffered an accidental, self-inflicted gunshot wound at a nightclub in NYC.

Plaxico did not have a license to carry a gun in NYC ... and turned himself in on charges of criminal possession of a handgun. Burress eventually accepted a plea deal that saw him spend two years in prison, effectively derailing his NFL career.

Burress would return to the NFL in 2011 with the New York Jets, but he retired a few years later after making a return to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Plaxico's life changed because of the mistake ... and that seems to be the message he's trying to convey to 23-year-old Morant, who's been embroiled in drama recently.

"You want to see him mature as a person as his game is getting better," Burress said, "and I think that all comes with time and being around the right people."

Comedian Mike Epps could be facing serious legal trouble -- TMZ has learned authorities in his home state say they found a loaded gun in one of his bags at an airport.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, police responded to a firearms investigation Sunday at the Indianapolis Airport ... with cops being told TSA found the gun while Mike was going through the checkpoint

The docs say the comedian mentioned being in town for a show, and forgot the piece was in his bag. Upon investigation, police say they found a .38 Special Airweight with 4 rounds loaded, but none in the chamber.

The gun and ammo were all taken as evidence.

Officials for the Indianapolis Airport police tell TMZ ... Epps wasn't arrested, but the report was forwarded to the Marion County Prosecutor's Office to determine if charges should be filed.

No, Ja Morant is not throwing away his NBA career ... at least, that's according to Richard Jefferson, who tells TMZ Sports the star's latest lapse in judgment is simply a young man "making mistakes in front of the public eye."

The former NBA champ made the comments to us out at LAX on Monday -- just two days after Morant filmed himself brandishing a gun while out at what appeared to be a Colorado strip club.

Many believe the 23-year-old is tanking his own career -- as he's now not only under police investigation over the footage, but he's also been booted from his Grizzlies team for the time being.

Jefferson, though, said he doesn't have any concerns this could derail the superstar's track in the Association ... telling us he's confident Morant will learn and grow from the fallout with relative ease.

"Him and his family are good people," Jefferson said, before adding, "I believe in him. I believe that he'll kind of turn things on. And, look, we've seen men come through worse and come out on the other side."

Morant -- who was also accused of flashing a gun at a high school basketball player during an altercation with the teenager at his home last summer -- vowed on Saturday to seek out help.

Ari Emanuel will likely be on the hunt for some new security, at least temporarily, as a member of his security team shot himself in the leg while patrolling Ari's home.

Law enforcement sources tell us they got a call to Emanuel's Beverly Hills pad around 11 PM Sunday night for the shooting. We're told the security guard was either getting dressed in his vehicle for a shift, or adjusting his weapon holster when the gun went off ... striking him somewhere in the leg.

We're told the shooting itself did not happen on Ari's property.

Our sources say the security guard was transported to the hospital, though we don't know his condition. Cops believe the whole thing was totally accidental.

Worth hundreds of millions of dollars, Emanuel is the CEO of Endeavor, the entertainment and media agency that owns UFC.

Emanuel is one of the biggest names in entertainment business, earning him several tributes through the industry -- including Jeremy Piven's character, Ari Gold, on "Entourage."

ESPN's Bomani Jones is planting 🚩🚩🚩 all around the Ja Morant gun situation, and thinks the NBA star could find himself in a fatal tragedy -- much like Young Dolph -- if he keeps messing around in Memphis.

Bomani and Domonique Foxworth were discussing the now infamous scenario on "The Right Time" podcast when they brought up former Memphis Grizzlies All-Star Zach Randolph ... who experienced a few obstacles himself trying to shake the streets once he began playing in arenas.

According to Bomani, Zach's credentials in the streets actually stacked up while Ja's hood demeanor is questionable -- and he thinks it's highly relevant that Dolph was murdered at a seemingly neutral zone, like a cookie shop.

The popular Memphis-born rapper was shot and killed on the way to his annual Thanksgiving turkey drive in 2021 ... and Bomani says Ja's playing with guns with "regular people" in a city that is currently in the top 10 for murders.

For his part, Randolph started the NLess Entertainment record label that propelled Moneybagg Yo to prominence and has become a philanthropic beacon for years. Ja might need a similar turnaround.

Brandon Miller just received top honors in his conference -- despite his connection to a murder case -- with the Alabama Crimson Tide star being named Player of the Year.

The Southeastern Conference unveiled the winners of the men's basketball postseason awards on Monday ... which are selected by the 14 head coaches.

The Tide forward -- who leads the SEC this season with 19.6 points per game -- received two of the awards: Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year ... weeks after Miller's name was mentioned in a murder case.

As we previously reported, law enforcement testified that Miller was the one who brought his former teammate, Darius Miles, the gun that killed 23-year-old Jamea Harris. The mother of one was gunned down on Jan. 15 in Tuscaloosa.

Miles' friend, Michael Davis, is the alleged shooter.

Both Miles and Davis are facing capital murder charges ... but Miller isn't in any trouble with the law or his school.

This, of course, has upset some college hoops fans ... who recently chanted "lock him up" at the Bama-South Carolina game last month.

The victim's parents are also furious the university continued to let him play despite the allegations.

"He took a brief pause and it didn’t stop. It’s like, OK, slap on the wrist and go play ball," Harris' mother, DeCarla Cotton, told USA Today.

"They're worried about his career, but what about this 5-year-old boy (Harris’ son, Kaine). He’s the true victim in all this. He won’t have a mother anymore to influence his growing up and who he’s going to be."

Cops are now investigating Ja Morant after the NBA superstar was seen on video over the weekend brandishing a firearm ... TMZ Sports has learned.

A spokesperson for the Glendale Police Department in Colorado tells us they launched the probe into the matter shortly after Morant went on Instagram Live from what appeared to be a strip club with a gun in his hand.

According to the spokesperson, cops "have confirmed the incident took place at a bar in Glendale" -- adding, "We are investigating the matter."

No further details surrounding the probe were given.

As we reported, Morant filmed himself at the Colorado establishment late Friday night/early Saturday morning -- hours after the Grizzlies had lost to the Nuggets in Denver.

In the footage, the 23-year-old can be seen and heard rapping along to an NBA YoungBoy song ... all while flashing a gun.

Shortly after the video was posted, the Grizzlies announced Morant would be stepping away from the team for at least the next two games.

Morant, meanwhile, took responsibility for his actions and apologized to his team and his fans. In his statement, Ja also vowed to "take some time away to get help and work on learning better methods of dealing with stress and my overall well-being."

Damian Lillard is denying he liked a tweet about Ja Morant which insinuated the Grizzlies star isn't "hood" amid his recent gun incident.

The controversy started when Dame allegedly liked a tweet fired off by a fan that read ... "Notice Dame is actually from the hood but he don't go around acting like Ja Morant who is from the suburbs trying to act hood"

The alleged screenshot showing Lillard's "like" started going around social media and obviously had fans believing the long-time NBA star was calling out his counterpart. But, Lillard attempted to shut down that conversation.

"Let em lie," the 32-year-old said on social media. "F*** I look like liking that."

Of course, Morant brandished a handgun on Instagram Live while partying at a strip club late Saturday night, leading to him leaving the Grizzlies for at least two games.

Morant issued a statement saying he'd "take some time away to get help and work on learning better methods of dealing with stress and my overall well-being."

In addition to flashing the weapon, Ja was already under fire after more was learned about an alleged incident during a pickup basketball game. Morant, in a lawsuit, was accused of beating up a teenage boy, before allegedly intimidating the 17-year-old with a gun in his waistband.

As for the tweet, some fans aren't buying Dame's denial, saying he could've just unliked the tweet once people noticed. But, Lillard isn't mincing words ... he says he didn't like the message.

"I don’t care who is and is not from the “trenches," Damian wrote.

Memphis Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins says Ja Morant could miss more than two games as a result of his gun-flashing Instagram Live video over the weekend ... telling reporters there's no set timetable for his return.

Jenkins briefly talked about his superstar guard's controversial clip prior to Memphis' matchup with the Clippers on Sunday ... saying it's a "very tough moment, for sure."

Morant -- who apologized for the vid on Saturday -- said he was going to "take some time away to get help and work on learning better methods of dealing with stress and my overall well-being."

Jenkins said he will not disclose details of private conversations held with Morant and the front office following the incident ... but voiced his support for the guard as he seeks help.

"We love him. We want what's best for him. We support him. It's going to be a difficult process, but we got a great group to get through this."

Coach added the focus is on getting Morant in a better place on and off the court ... and he hopes the All-Star can take accountability and understand the expectations the team has for him.

As for how long Morant will be away from the team, Jenkins said there is "not a definitive timeline."

Ja Morant appeared to brandish a gun while filming a selfie video on social media late Friday night ... and now, the NBA says it's investigating it all.

The two-time All-Star went live on his Instagram page following the Memphis Grizzlies' loss to the Denver Nuggets ... showing him while out at what seemed to be a strip club.

Morant, shirtless, was dancing around ... rapping along to NBA YoungBoy's "Bring 'Em Out." Suddenly, he flashed what appeared to be a gun in front of the camera.

In the footage, you can see the 23-year-old brought the object near his face for a brief moment, before pulling it away.

It's not clear if the gun was real or not. An NBA spokesperson said in a statement Saturday morning, "We are aware of a social media post involving Ja Morant and are investigating."

Morant was recently accused of flashing a gun at a teenager following an altercation the two had at his home in Tennessee over the summer.

Cops investigated the claims, and officials ultimately declined prosecution in the case, citing a lack of evidence.

Morant was also recently seen doing a finger gun celebration during a game against the Rockets.

The former Murray State Racer has become an NBA star since he was drafted in 2019 ... leading the Grizzlies to two playoff appearances while averaging 22.5 points per game.

T.I. says the recent beef between him and Boosie Badazz over a scrapped project is no more ... telling us Boosie knows he messed up by dragging his fellow rapper over snitching claims.

We got T.I. leaving The Cheesecake Factory in Bev Hills Thursday, and he starts our convo by laughing off the drama ... before telling us straight up "someone misspoke" -- that someone being Boosie.

He says Boosie's aware what he said wasn't accurate, and it'll be dealt with behind closed doors ... as Tip puts it, "The way it should've been in the first place."

He also tells us why he isn't focused on getting the music out there -- mainly, this stuff is bigger than a handful of tracks.

As we reported, T.I. clapped back at Boosie last month after he said he ditched their collab project, believing T.I. snitched on his late cousin to avoid a gun charge.

Tip wasn't having any of it -- accusing the rapper of not being truthful and claiming to have docs that proved he never snitched.

Alex Murdaugh, who was sentenced to life Friday morning, already has a different look as he heads to prison ... with a completely shaved head.

The new mug shot was taken just a few hours after he was in a South Carolina courthouse to hear his sentence for murdering his wife and son.

Murdaugh had a full head of hair as the judge gave him 2 life sentences ... so they clearly put the razor to him shortly after he was walked out of court in handcuffs. We're told that's S.O.P., so it's not like he had a choice in the matter.

As we reported, a jury convicted him Thursday of 2 counts of murder and 2 counts of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. They reached the verdict after less than 3 hours of deliberations.

As you know, Murdaugh's wife Maggie and 22-year-old son Paul were found dead back in 2021 on the family property in Islandton, SC -- they'd been shot with 2 different guns.

Murdaugh was indicted last summer for their murders, but always maintained he was innocent and had an alibi ... but that was blown up when prosecutors presented video and audio proving he was on the property moments -- within earshot of Maggie and Paul -- before the murders.

Pooh Shiesty has been ordered to cough up a bunch of dough ... and it'll be going to the victims of the shootout he was involved with back in 2020.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the rapper now has to pay $156,585 in restitution as part of his sentence. The docs say that some of that cash must be forked over from money he earns while working in prison.

As we reported, Pooh was busted in 2020 for a shootout involving himself and other men at a Miami-area parking lot, leaving 2 injured.

Surveillance video from the scene showed the whole thing unfold -- Pooh appeared to have an assault rifle while sitting in a McLaren, directly in the middle of all the action.

Alex Murdaugh will spend the rest of his life behind bars for the murders of his wife and son ... and the judge seemed to say the death penalty might have been more appropriate.

The life sentence was handed down Friday in a South Carolina courthouse ... the sentencing comes a day after the jury convicted him of two counts of murder and two counts of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime -- a verdict reached by the jury after less than three hours of deliberations.

Before the judge handed down the sentence, Murdaugh maintained he did not commit the murders. The judge said it was heartbreaking for him to see Murdaugh going from a grieving husband and father to a killer. The judge noted prosecutors could have sought the death penalty, and seemed to say the death penalty may have been the right punishment.

After Murdaugh said he didn't commit the crime, the judge said he agreed it might have been an alter ego ... the monster within.

Murdaugh’s legal team told TMZ ... "We are disappointed in the jury’s verdict but we will not have any further comment until after sentencing."

Murdaugh's 22-year-old son Paul and his wife Maggie were found dead back in 2021 at their hunting property in Islandton, South Carolina. Murdaugh was originally described by authorities as only a "person of interest," largely because he claimed to have an airtight alibi.

During the trial, however, prosecutors introduced video and audio evidence showing that Alex’s alibi evidence was not credible, and placed him at the scene of the crime at about the time of the killings

Murdaugh later admitted on the stand that he had lied to authorities about not being at the property, but nevertheless insisted he had not killed his wife and son.

College baseball player Jatonne Sterling, a member of the Clark Atlanta University team, was shot and killed on Tuesday. He was just 20 years old.

The Atlanta Police Department said the tragic shooting happened less than a mile from CAU's campus in Georgia ... near a church.

According to cops, officers responded to the scene at around 1:42 p.m. ... and found Sterling suffering from a gunshot wound. They said he was "not alert, conscious, or breathing and was pronounced deceased on the scene."

Cops say they have launched an investigation into the shooting, but no arrests have been made yet.

CAU, an HBCU, and its athletics department mourned Sterling's death in a social media post, saying, "Gone too soon."

"Please keep Jatonne’s family in your prayers. 🙏🏾," the school added.

According to CAU, Sterling was a utility player on the baseball team who was majoring in computer science.

Before getting a baseball scholarship to play for the CAU Panthers, Sterling was a standout athlete at Chicago's Morgan Park High School ... where he won a championship in 2021.

His former high school baseball coach, Earnest Radcliff, told 11Alive he spoke with Sterling a week ago and looked at him like a son.

"I don't have any words to describe the hurt for this young man," Radcliff said. "No parent should have to bury their child."

R.I.P.

A grocery store owned by Lionel Messi's in-laws was shot up by two men who fired at least a dozen shots into the shop in Argentina, before sending an ominous threat to the soccer legend ... "Messi, we’re waiting for you."

The Unico supermarket is located in Rosario, Argentina -- about 200 miles from the capital, Buenos Aires -- and is owned by the mom and dad of Lionel's wife, Antonela Roccuzzo. A normal day of shopping for groceries was interrupted Thursday when two assailants pulled up in front of the store on a motorcycle in broad daylight, with one of the men jumping off the bike, and opening fire, according to witnesses.

Miraculously, no one was injured ... though property was damaged, including a shattered front window pane.

Perhaps the scariest part ... after unloading on the store, the men dropped a written note that threatened the 35-year-old World Cup champion.

“Messi, we’re waiting for you. Javkin is also a drug trafficker, so he won’t take care of you.”

Javkin is Rosario Mayor Pablo Javkin.

Shortly after the violent incident, Mayor Javkin went to the scene and criticized Argentina's national police for failing to reign in drug-related crimes.

Local police officials also spoke, and despite the seemingly menacing message, they say this was likely an attempt to "attract attention," as opposed to a threat.

Narco violence has been on the rise in Argentina, and Rosario, specifically, has seen a big jump in drug-related murders. In fact, last year the Buenos Aires Times wrote, "narco violence plaguing the city has reached 'critical' levels."

Despite the scary situation at his family's store, Messi didn't appear to be bothered at Paris Saint-Germaine F.C. practice on Thursday ... where Lionel hit the field with his teammates.