A federal jury in Los Angeles acquitted the Chicago rapper, whose legal name is Durk Banks, on all five felony counts he faced, including murder for hire, conspiracy and stalking resulting in death. Jurors deliberated for three days before delivering the verdict on Friday, September 11, clearing the 33-year-old Grammy winner of every charge tied to a 2022 shooting outside a Los Angeles gas station.
What did prosecutors actually accuse Durk of doing
Prosecutors alleged Durk orchestrated a plot to kill rival rapper Quando Rondo, whose legal name is Tyquian Bowman, in retaliation for the 2020 shooting death of his close friend and Only The Family collective member King Von in Atlanta. The government argued Durk set a bounty on Bowman’s life and communicated that desire to members of his crew through texts and voice messages, describing him during closing arguments as a hardened gang leader who had shooters on call and moved once he judged Bowman vulnerable during a visit to Los Angeles. In August 2022, prosecutors say a group of men flew to Los Angeles on funds Durk provided, tracked Bowman’s movements, and opened fire on his vehicle near the Beverly Center. Bowman survived, but his 24 year old cousin, Saviay’a Robinson, was killed.
What happened to Durk’s co-defendants
Deandre Wilson and David Lindsey, both alleged to have carried out the actual shooting, were convicted of conspiracy to commit stalking, stalking with a dangerous weapon and stalking resulting in death, but both were acquitted of the murder for hire charge alongside Durk. Wilson’s attorney said afterward that the defense felt the verdict confirmed there was no murder for hire, and indicated a pending motion for acquittal on the remaining counts.
What evidence did prosecutors lean on during the trial
Beyond testimony from three cooperating witnesses who took plea deals, prosecutors pointed to a 2023 interview Durk gave DJ Akademiks in which he was asked about fan comments pushing him to retaliate for King Von’s death. Durk’s vague response about no longer noticing those comments was presented to jurors as evidence of an implicit admission, an interpretation his defense rejected throughout the trial. Durk’s family had previously described the broader prosecution as a miscarriage of justice, alleging the government relied on false evidence to secure his original indictment.
How did the hip hop world react to the verdict
Reaction was immediate and widespread. Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, and Machine Gun Kelly both attended the trial in person and celebrated the outcome publicly afterward, with Machine Gun Kelly describing a decade long friendship with Durk on social media. Drake and 21 Savage each shared photos with Durk on their Instagram Stories rather than lengthy statements, while G Herbo and Doe Boy posted celebratory videos. DJ Akademiks, whose own interview footage became part of the prosecution’s case, was livestreaming when the verdict came down and appeared visibly stunned by the result.
Is Durk actually free right now
No. He remains in custody ahead of a separate trial now scheduled for October 5, where he faces racketeering, murder and firearms charges that were severed from this case. He has been held since his October 2024 arrest, which came as he was reportedly leaving the country on a booked flight.
What has come of the original King Von case
The man once identified as a suspect in King Von’s 2020 death, known as Lul Tim, had his charges dropped in 2023 under Georgia’s stand your ground law, with prosecutors concluding he acted in self defense during a shootout involving multiple people outside an Atlanta hookah lounge that also killed King Von and one other person. That resolution has remained a point of ongoing tension among people connected to Von’s circle in the years since.
