Weapons & Guns

Stephen Jackson defended Ja Morant when he flashed a gun on IG Live in March ... but the former hooper says he can't have the back of the Grizzlies superstar this time around,  calling the act "the dumbest thing he could've done."

"It's not what you do, it's what you do after. And, what you do after is not do the same thing again, like what [Ja] just did," 45-year-old Jackson said on I Am Athlete's Paper Route show.

"All the people like me that was taking up for him, that's said 'it was a mistake, he's a young kid.' We can't go to bat for him this time. This is the dumbest thing he could've done. This is a moron move."

Of course, 23-year-old Morant was suspended by the Grizzlies over the weekend after another video surfaced, showing the 2x NBA All-Star holding a handgun while in a car with his buddy.

The video comes just two months after Ja was seen holding a pistol on Instagram Live while in a Denver area strip club on March 4. Morant was suspended 8 games ... and decided to seek treatment, entering a counseling program in Florida, where he stayed for a few days.

In a sitdown interview with Jalen Rose, Ja vowed to make better decisions going forward ... though Jackson always doubted the effectiveness of the treatment Morant received in the Sunshine State.

"It's just a f**ked up situation, but you gotta really just put everything in his lap and let him deal with it. He gotta deal with everything that comes with it because he done the same dumb thing again that he act like he went and got help for," Stak said.

He continued ... "Just like I told yall, he didn't talk to nobody and get help that fast. There was no way. That was a publicity stunt. This is all on him and can't nobody defend him. I definitely won't stand up and defend him because that was the dumbest thing you could've done."

Jackson, who played 14 seasons in the NBA, says he had Ja's back before the first incident because he was once in a similar situation to Morant ... but Stephen says he learned and made changes where necessary.

"I was one guy that actually went to bat for him because I've been a guy who was thrown a lot of money at a young age and made a mistake, but I'm totally different than the person I was. A lot of people commend me on the changes I made after the mistakes I made."

A security guard fatally gunned down a shoplifter at a Walgreens in San Francisco ... and the entire violent encounter was captured on surveillance video.

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins released the footage Monday to show why she declined to bring charges against Michael Earl-Wayne Anthony for killing Banko Brown at the store on April 27 in what Anthony says was self-defense.

The video starts off with Anthony blocking Brown -- carrying a bag of alleged stolen items -- from exiting the store. Anthony then goes after Brown, repeatedly punching him and placing him in a chokehold.

At one point, Anthony lifts Brown off his feet and throws him to the floor, getting on top of him as the two thrash around. Finally, Anthony lets him up, prompting Brown to grab the bag of merchandise and start for the exit. At the door, Brown whirls around and appears to make a move at Anthony, who then pulls a gun and opens fire, killing the alleged thief.

Anthony told cops that he ordered Brown to give back the stolen goods, but Brown refused and became aggressive. He also told police Brown threatened to stab him, although it was later determined Brown did not have a knife. Anthony said he ultimately shot Brown after he thought Brown -- upon turning around at the exit -- was going to take a run at him.

D.A. Jenkins clearly believed Anthony's story of self-defense because she did not charge him with a crime and released the security footage, police reports and witness accounts to prove to the public that she made the correct decision.

But not everyone was convinced.

Alec Baldwin is officially wrapped on "Rust" ... following the production screeching to a halt with the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins -- and the actor's sending off the project with a clean shave.

Baldwin showed off his back-to-normal look late Monday night, writing, "God, it felt good to shave off that beard…" You'll recall, the actor was rocking a ton of scruff for the low-budget Western.

He also gave a shout-out to his costar Patrick Scott McDermott, who's previously been featured on an episode of "Chicago Med" and a 'Please Don't Destroy' sketch on 'SNL' ... and it sounds like Alec's singing his praises.

As you know, production of the film stopped completely after the fatal shooting of Hutchins back in October 2021. It was unclear for a while if they'd even finish the movie, but production was up and filming again last month.

The crew high-tailed it out of New Mexico, where Hutchins' death took place, and relocated to Montana to finish up -- finding what appears to be an identical Western town.

We've seen production going down out there in its final weeks, including Alec's character being marched to the gallows for what seems to be the gunslinger's death.

We also saw him handling firearms out in Montana, which was eerie, considering the tragedy of Halyna's death.

Of course, Alec had always denied pulling the trigger on the prop gun, which discharged and killed Hutchins -- and prosecutors dropped the involuntary manslaughter charges against the actor before filming picked up again.

Looks like "Rust" is in the can, and it will be interesting to see what kind of attention it gets once it's ready to be shown to the world.

Shy Glizzy got arrested over the weekend after cops say he pulled a gun on his girlfriend and threatened to harm her ... TMZ has learned.

Our law enforcement sources tell us the rapper was arrested Saturday following a verbal altercation with his on-again, off-again girlfriend ... which police say escalated to the point where Shy grabbed a firearm and made a threat.

We're told the alleged incident played out on a public street around 9 AM Saturday ... and Shy took off after the argument. Our sources say West Hollywood Sheriff's Deputies got involved and a criminal report was made ... Shy was eventually tracked down by 6 PM and arrested.

Shy Glizzy was booked on a felony charge of making criminal threats ... records show he was released after about 4 hours behind bars on a $50,000 bond.

Our sources say police did not find a gun on Shy when he was arrested ... and he denied ever threatening the girlfriend, who we're told he's been dating off and on for 4 months.

We're told the case remains under investigation.

We've reached out to Shy ... so far no word back.

Ja Morant has set social media ablaze with another apparent gun incident ... this time flashing what appears to be a weapon Saturday during an IG Live.

Morant is having fun in a car with a friend, listening to NBA YoungBoy's album. As the camera pans toward him, you see what appears to be the Grizzlies star holding a gun ... just for a second, and then the camera turns away.

Fans recorded the moment and it's making rounds on social.  What we don't know ... whether the gun's real, and whether it's his.

There was a previous incident in March with Morant and a gun ... he was at a Denver nightclub on IG Live, but later said the gun wasn't his.

This had its consequences ... Morant was suspended for 8 games without pay for the incident. However, police investigated and ended up not charging Morant with a crime. The NBA also did its own investigation and could not conclude that the gun at issue belonged to Morant. It was also unclear if he brought the gun into the club.

The 23-year-old enrolled in a Florida counseling program before returning to the court.

We reached out to a rep for the Memphis Grizzlies about the IG video taken Saturday ... so far, no word back.

The Stars and Kraken are stepping up to honor victims of last weekend's horrific mass shooting in Allen, Texas ... wearing helmet decals for their playoff game Thursday night -- while also auctioning off some memorabilia to raise funds for those affected by the tragedy.

Dallas and Seattle both jointly announced the tributes on their social media pages minutes ago ... five days after a gunman terrifyingly opened fire at an outlet mall in Allen, killing eight people and wounding seven others.

Both teams revealed their players will have "ALLENSTRONG" stickers affixed to the left side of their helmets when the puck drops on Game 5 in Big D.

In addition, the Stars said they'll have multiple auctions going on starting Thursday -- with the profits from the bidding set to go toward the Victims First and the Support for Allen Fund foundations.

Some of the items fans can bid on include a game-used puck signed by captain Jamie Benn ... and a game-used stick autographed by goalie Jake Oettinger.

Dallas also said the 50/50 raffle at Thursday night's game will benefit the two charities.

Britney Spears drinks caffeine drinks by the gallon, something experts say is not great but unsurprising for people with mental illnesses.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ, which has produced a documentary that will air Monday, Britney guzzles Red Bull, Celsius, coffee, and dandelion tea almost nonstop. We're told she consumes so much caffeine, she'll sometimes stay awake for 3 consecutive days.

Experts, including Dr. Drew, tell TMZ, people with mental illnesses crave the high from these drinks, but it's not particularly healthy.

The documentary -- "TMZ Investigates: Britney Spears: The Price of Freedom" -- chronicles her life in the last 1 1/2 years since the conservatorship ended. The documentary details her relationships with her family, husband, and kids, in addition to other struggles that have caused concern among those closest to her.

The documentary reveals some of the recommendations people who were caring for Britney made at the end of the conservatorship.  One of the recommendations -- keep knives away from her.

Kyler Murray is stepping up in a big way ... the Arizona Cardinals star just donated thousands of dollars to William Cho, the 6-year-old boy who lost his loved ones in the Texas mass shooting earlier this month.

Cho had visited the Allen outlet mall on May 6 with his family ... when a gunman opened fire -- and killed his mom, dad and brother. Cho suffered injuries in the horrific rampage, but after spending time in the ICU, he's recovering well.

Friends of the Cho family set up a GoFundMe page with the hopes that it would provide the little boy with enough money to help him in the wake of the tragedy once he heals up ... and Murray raced in this week to open up his checkbook for the cause.

The 25-year-old quarterback -- who has close ties to the area ... as he went to high school in Allen -- shelled out $15,000.

He added in a tweet earlier this week he was ready to help more victims, too.

So far, the GoFundMe page -- which initially had a goal of raising $50,000 -- is up over $1.7 million.

"We are deeply grateful and sincerely appreciate this outpouring [of] love and prayers from all around the country," the page's organizers wrote.

Britney Spears has had a fascination with knives, and as the conservatorship came to an end, those caring for her prepared a list of recommendations, including this one -- keep knives away from her.

Multiple sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... there were a number of recommendations as the conservatorship wound down, including not driving alone. But the one that sticks out involves knives.

We're told Britney viewed knives as a means of protection ... she has a constant fear of being re-institutionalized, something she's referenced in the past.

Given her mental struggles that sometimes resulted in manic and volatile behavior, the recommendation was cautionary.

TMZ has prepared a documentary on Britney's life in the year-and-a-half after the conservatorship ended. The documentary -- "TMZ Investigates: Britney Spears: The Price of Freedom" -- will air on FOX network Monday, May 15 at 9 PM ET.

The suspect in the deadly shooting rampage at a Texas mall didn't keep his hateful beliefs a secret ... tattooing the Nazi swastika on his body and spreading sick messages on a Russian social media platform.

Mauricio Garcia, the gunman accused of gunning down 8 people and wounding others Saturday at an outdoor mall, had a large swastika tattooed on his chest ... plus a "SS" tattoo on his arm.

Garcia's alleged social media profile is reportedly chock full of hateful rants targeting women and minorities ... plus posts praising Adolf Hitler and neo-Nazis.

In one of the alleged social media posts, Garcia shows off a bulletproof vest with Punisher patches and one patch embroidered with "RWDS" ... which is short for "Right Wing Death Squad."

As we reported, the deadly shooting went down Saturday at the Allen Premium Outlets in Allen, Texas -- where video appears to show the gunman pulling up in a car, hopping out and firing into a crowd of shoppers.

An active shooter has been reported at an outdoor mall in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX area -- and videos are starting to surface showing the fear and chaos as people run for their lives.

Police said Saturday that they're responding to reports of someone opening fire at the Allen Premium Outlets, and are warning to public to steer clear of this area ... as the situation is fluid. First responders could be seen rushing to the scene and evacuating patrons.

Clips have made the rounds on Twitter, which show tons of bystanders booking it toward the parking lot and out of buildings -- this while multiple gunshots are heard being fired off.

As of now, there've been no confirmed reports about injuries and/or fatalities from the authorities -- but some preliminary info that's starting to circulate suggests there may be as many as five victims so far. The Allen Premium Outlets is currently on lockdown.

Other video shows swarms of shoppers -- including families and children, all of whom are panicked -- forming lines as they trickle into the open area away from the shops.

One video in particular -- which is incredibly graphic -- is making the rounds and appears to show footage taken from a news helicopter that's on the scene -- which seems to show a string of bodies covered in tarps on the ground ... with blood seeping out.

It's unclear if the shooter is still at large, or if the scene is still active at this point. All Allen PD has said thus far is that they're there and dealing with it.

Young Thug's brother, Unfoonk, is a return inmate at Fulton County jail -- law enforcement sources tell TMZ Hip Hop he's been arrested and booked for firearm possession by a convicted felon.

Unfoonk joined Gunna last December in entering a plea in the high-profile YSL RICO trial ... but his latest run-in with the law could lead to a violation of his probation terms.

Cops in Atlanta say Unfoonk (real name Quantavious Grier) was pulled over in his neighborhood around 4 PM Thursday ... and during the stop, officers claimed to have smelled burnt marijuana inside the black Mercedes sedan.

We're told officers also say there was excessive tint on Unfoonk's windows, and the YSL rapper wasn't wearing his seatbelt.

They called in a police K9 to help with the narcotics search of the vehicle, and during that search ... we're told officers located a handgun in the driver's side door panel. As the owner of the car, Unfoonk was arrested for gun possession.

According to the docs, he was also dinged for criminal street gang activity -- and the much smaller infractions of improper window tint and a safety belt violation.

Ralph Yarl, the boy who was shot in the head after ringing the wrong doorbell, is still dealing with health complications ... so much so, we're told he still hasn't been able to rejoin his pals at school.

Lee Merritt, attorney for the Yarl family, tells TMZ ... Ralph met with his doctor Monday to see if he had the green light to return to classes, but it was determined he's still not well enough to go back.

Ralph's been dealing with a traumatic brain injury after being shot by Andrew Lester -- and the part of his brain that deals with emotion and stress was damaged, so his doc didn't find it fitting to put him back in an environment requiring social interactions.

We're told Ralph's continuing to get his school assignments brought to him at home for the time being.

He also had an invite from Ahmaud Arbery's mom, Wanda, to join her at a 5K race for Ahmaud this weekend, but the Yarls didn't think it was a good idea for him to go to that ... for the same reasons his doctor said no to school.

A man was shot at Jorge Masvidal's Miami area home Thursday afternoon following a verbal altercation ... before being transported to the hospital with at least one gunshot wound to the arm area, TMZ Sports has learned.

The recently retired UFC superstar was NOT home at the time of the incident ... and was not involved in the incident in any way, according to officials.

However, Jorge's dad, Jorge Masvidal Sr., is currently in custody, where he is being interviewed by police.

Miami-Dade PD tell us they received a call around 3 PM. When they arrived, EMTs were already on the scene "rendering aid to an adult male who was shot in his upper extremities."

Cops say the victim told them he was "involved in an argument that escalated when the subject produced a firearm and shot him."

The cause of the argument, and who was involved, is currently unclear ... though police tell us the parties know each other.

We're told the victim was transported to a local hospital where he is now in stable condition.

38-year-old Masvidal recently retired from the UFC ... but is still one of the most popular fighters in the world.

Jorge is scheduled to have a Gamebred Bareknuckle event in South Florida on Friday night.

Shawn Kemp showed up to a Washington court on Thursday to fight back in his parking lot shooting case ... pleading not guilty to the felony charge that prosecutors hit him with three weeks ago.

The SuperSonics legend arrived at the Pierce County courtroom several minutes before the hearing was slated to begin ... wearing a blue button-down shirt with a black vest over it.

Kemp appeared stoic throughout the minutes-long proceedings -- eventually entering a plea of not guilty to one count of first-degree assault, before leaving.

As part of the conditions of Kemp's release, the judge said the former NBA star could not have firearms. Kemp was also ordered to have no contact with the alleged victims in the case.

Kemp did not speak with reporters who were on the scene.

Kemp was initially arrested in the case back on March 8 -- after cops alleged he fired a gun in a Tacoma, Wash. mall parking lot during a dispute with people in a nearby car. On April 14, prosecutors formally charged him with assault.

The 53-year-old has been adamant he was simply acting in self-defense, calling his actions "reasonable and legally justified." He's vowed to fight the case in court.

Kemp is now due back for another hearing on the matter next month.

The Menendez brothers want to have their day in court ... again ... they say they have new evidence backing up their defense that their father was sexually abusing them, but there's a new wrinkle involving a member of the '80's boy band "Menudo."

According to new legal docs filed by attorney Mark Geragos, and obtained by TMZ, Erik and Lyle Menendez cited recent allegations by former Menudo star Roy Rossello that he was sexually abused when he was 13 or 14 by Jose Menendez.

Rosello made the accusations against Jose -- a then-RCA record exec -- in a new three part Peacock docuseries, "Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed." In the series, two journalists dove into claims that the band's founder, Edgardo Diaz, brought Rosello to Jose's home in New Jersey to broker a deal between "Menudo" and RCA. But things took a dark turn when Jose allegedly drugged Rossello and then raped the teen.

Per the court docs, Erik and Lyle argued that Rossello's allegations of abuse by their dad only served to strengthen their original contention that they fatally shot Jose and their mom, Kitty, out of self-defense.

The petition also mentioned a letter Erik sent to their cousin, Andy Cano, months before the shootings ... where Erik accused Jose of sexual abuse.

In the letter, which the brothers claimed wasn't shown to the jury at trial, Erik says he wished he could tell his mom about the alleged abuse but says he can't risk it because he feared she would tell Jose. Erik also told Andy his father was continuing to molest him.

The Menendez Brothers say the letter was sent around 8 months before they murdered their parents, and they argued it supported their defense theory that Jose was sexually abusing them and warned them to not speak out about being molested, to the point where they became frightened of their father.

They say jurors never heard from Roy either, and they claimed if the jury knew about Roy's allegations and the letter, things might have turned out differently and they might have bought the defense's theory that the brothers were guilty of manslaughter, instead of murder.

Erik and Lyle filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus in an effort to determine whether the new evidence was enough for the court to grant them a new trial or other relief.

Attorney Alan Jackson talked to us in April about the possibility of the Menendez brothers getting a new trial ... and he didn't seem to think it was likely, and told us exactly why.