Rapper PnB Rock fatally shot at Roscoe's Chicken 'n Waffles in South LA

Rapper PnB Rock was fatally shot while dining at a Roscoe's Chicken 'n Waffles in South Los Angeles on Monday.

According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the shooting happened at about 1:20 p.m. at the restaurant located on W. Manchester Avenue. They believe it was an attempted robbery of Philadelphia-based rapper PnB Rock, born Rakim Hasheem Allen.

Allen was taken to a hospital following the shooting, where he was later pronounced dead. He was 30 years old. He leaves two daughters behind. 

Investigators could be seen scouring both the inside of the restaurant as well as the outside as they continued to survey the area. 

They disclosed that the suspect walked through the front doors before directly approaching Allen, who was eating with a woman believed to be his girlfriend. A verbal altercation started just moments before shots were fired and the suspect fled from the scene in a getaway car.

"As they were eating, at least one suspect approached them with a firearm and demanded the victim's property," said LAPD Captain Kelly Muniz. "There was some sort of verbal exchange at this point, we were not able to get audio in the investigation. Then, the suspect shot the victim several times. The victim then fell to the ground and the suspect removed some items from the victim."

"A struggle ensued and PnB Rock was shot and killed. Lost his life there, simply over the jewelry and valuables he had on his person," LAPD Chief Michel Moore on Tuesday.

A Roscoe's employee said that he heard the shots and rushed to try and help. 

"I ran in to see what was going on and the dude was shot like three times in the chest," he said. "I start applying pressure on the hole that was closer to where i thought would kill him. I did the one on the chest." 

There was no information on a suspect or the vehicle used immediately available. 

Investigators are examining security video from inside the restaurant to identify the shooter. They also are checking surrounding businesses to see whether security systems captured any images of the suspect leaving on foot or in a vehicle.

Fans of PnB Rock began to arrive at the scene after police cleared the investigation area to pay their respects, leaving flowers and messages. 

They told CBS reporters that they knew PnB Rock was in the area due to a since-deleted Instagram post made by his girlfriend, which included a geotag of their location.

"We believe this senseless murder occurred following a posting on Instagram," Moore said during an interview with CBS Reporter Lesley Marin on Tuesday, noting that Allen's girlfriend is fully-cooperating with the investigation and should not be blamed in the incident. "Bad guys, if you will, monitor those and track those celebrities and those individuals, and recognize or believe that they can attack those homes and be relatively unchallenged and there have been instances in where exactly those have occurred."

DJ Akademiks, who hosts a podcast called "Off the Record," said that he had recently interviewed PnB Rock, where he detailed a separate failed robbery attempt in Los Angeles. 

Investigators were examining security video from inside the restaurant to identify the shooter, Moore said.

On its official Instagram page, Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles posted a statement saying, "We are deeply saddened by the death of Rakim Hasheem Allen, also known as PnB Rock, an incredible artist in Los Angeles and everywhere. His passing represents an enormous loss to each and every one of us. Our most heartfelt condolences, thoughts and prayers go to the Allen family at this difficult time. The safety of our employees and guests are our utmost priority. We have and will continue to keep our place of business as safe as possible."

Roscoe's reopened its doors less than 24 hours after the shooting occurred, informing patrons that they had security in place. 

Rapper Nicki Minaj tweeted her thoughts on the incident, saying "After Pop Smoke there's no way we as rappers or our loved ones are still posting locations to our whereabouts. To show waffles & some fried chicken????! He was such a pleasure to work with. Condolences to his mom & family. This makes me feel so sick. Jesus. #SIP #PnbRock."

A number of fellow performers who had worked with Rock in the past, tweeted their condolences as well, including Russ, Quavo, Juicy J and Asian Doll.

PnB Rock released two studio albums, one EP and five mixtapes after beginning his rap career in 2014. His song "Selfish," was triple-platinum certified by the Recording Industry Association of America. He had songs with other notable musicians like Wiz Khalifa, Lil Wayne, Ed Sheeran, Chance the Rapper, Young Thug and 2 Chainz, among others.

The shooting and its apparent link with an Instagram post was reminiscent of the killing of rapper Pop Smoke. In that case, the rapper had made a series of social media posts revealing his location and valuables he had in his possession.

In 2020 he released a song with Pop Smoke, who was fatally shot while staying at a rental property in Hollywood Hills. He was also featured on a number of posthumously-released XXXTentacion songs in 2019, who was shot and killed during a robbery in Deerfield Beach, Florida in 2018.

LA native and actor Danny Trejo shared a photo of he and PnB Rock after hearing news of the shooting.