HOUSTON — The family of well-known rapper TakeOff, one part of the Atlanta group Migos, has filed a $1 million lawsuit against the owners of the downtown Houston bowling alley where he was shot and killed at a party last Nov. 1.
The lawsuit, filed June 7 in Harris County, Texas, lists several defendants in the suit, including 810 Billiards & Bowling, where the party was being held.
TakeOff shooting: What happened?
TakeOff, whose legal name is Kirsnick Khari Tiquon Ball, died after being shot in the head and torso at the Houston venue around 2:30 a.m.
The man accused of killing Migos rapper TakeOff, Patrick Clark, posted a $1 million bond back in January and was released from jail, according to court records.
According to the lawsuit the shooting after one group "began verbally, physically and openly causing trouble and trying to intimidate Mr. Ball and his group of friends."
The groups then began shooting, with one of the bullets hitting TakeOff, described in the suit as an "innocent bystander."
What does the lawsuit say about the shooting?
The lawsuit claims the event violated the facility's own policies and procedures by hosting the party, allegedly with limited security measures.
"Defendants were informed that the event required extra security and would draw a large crowd, many of whom could be celebrities, which in itself presents unique and advance security considerations, none of which were taken," the lawsuit alleges. "Despite this knowledge, Defendants negligently failed to provide proper and adequate security for the event."
The suit accuses the owners of the venue of failing to provide screenings and after-hours security and, thus, "breached their duty" owed to TakeOff by "failing to exercise ordinary care to keep the premises safe."
In a statement, attorneys for Takeoff called it a necessary lawsuit.
"Kirshnik was a gentle soul, whose loving nature and incredible musical talents made him not only beloved by his family and friends, but by his fans throughout the world," the statement read. "He is sorely missed, and we are committed to vigorously fighting on behalf of his memory and his loving mother."
The full lawsuit can be found below.
Who was Migos rapper TakeOff?
TakeOff was the youngest member of Migos, the rap trio from suburban Atlanta that also featured his uncle Quavo and cousin Offset.
He has been described not only as a great artist but a great man who was peaceful.
"Based on what people say about him, he is well respected, non-violent," Houston Police Chief Finner said.
Migos first broke through the music industry with the massive hit “Versace” in 2013. The song was remixed by Drake, heightening its popularity.
The group had four Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including one of their most successful songs “Bad and Boujee,” featuring Lil Uzi Vert. They put out a trilogy of albums called “Culture,” “Culture II” and “Culture III,” with the first two albums hitting No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart. They also earned an ASCAP Vanguard Award in 2018, for their streaming success with multiplatinum songs like “Motorsport (featuring Cardi B and Nicki Minaj),” “Stir Fry,” and “Walk It Talk It.”
The trio also played a fictional version of themselves on an episode of the hit TV show “Atlanta,” but the group wasn’t currently together.
Offset, who is married to Cardi B, released a solo album in 2019, while TakeOff and Quavo released a joint album “Only Built for Infinity Links” last month.