ATLANTA — An alleged murder-for-hire plot uncovered by the FBI in California that was just made public this week in a federal indictment is bringing renewed attention to a deadly shootout in downtown Atlanta.
On Thursday, Grammy award-winning Chicago rapper Lil Durk was arrested in Florida on a murder-for-hire charge.
This stems from an ongoing feud between the artist and Savannah rapper Quando Rondo after an argument turned deadly outside a hookah lounge in Downtown Atlanta.
On Nov. 6, 2020, Atlanta Police responded to multiple people shot at the Monaco Hookah Lounge at 255 Trinity Ave.
Reports allege the argument was between Timothy "Lul Tim" Leeks, who is a known associate of Quando Rondo's crew, and rapper King Von. In surveillance video released from that night outside the lounge, you can see a fight break out before shots are fired.
King Von was among three people killed. In the days following the shooting, Atlanta Police announced they arrested Leeks in connection to Von's death and charged him with murder.
As 11Alive reported following the shooting, Von had just released a 16-track album through Lil Durk's 'Only the Family' label, which had just been released a month prior to him being killed.
Fulton County jail records show Leeks was released on a $100,000 surety bond on March 27, 2021.
The FBI now alleges that following Von's death, Lil Durk put out a bounty for anyone who would kill Quando Rondo in retaliation.
In 2022, the attempt on Rondo's life happened in Los Angeles by at least five members of Lil Durk's 'Only the Family' organization outside a gas station. He survived, but his cousin was killed in the shooting.
On Friday night, as 11Alive was digging into this case and looking back on King Von's homicide, a report was found claiming Von's accused killer had his murder charge dismissed.
11Alive reached out to Leek's attorney, Noah Pines, who confirmed that, in fact, his client's murder charge was dismissed in 2023.
We reached out to Atlanta Police for a statement and to find out if anyone else had been charged in the deadly shooting.