An Atlanta rapper was fatally shot at the Beverly Center on Monday afternoon, causing mall diners to dive for cover and sparking a police dragnet for suspects.
The shooting occurred around 3:10 p.m. in the parking structure of the popular Westside mall. Dolla, a rapper whose real name is Roderick Anthony Burton II, was shot in the head while he and another rapper, D.J. Shabbazz, were waiting in the valet area, according to Dolla's publicist, Sue Vannasing. A friend who was with the rappers at the Beverly Center as well as a Los Angeles Police Department source also confirmed his identity to The Times.
Two suspects fled from the scene, police said. About two hours later, Los Angeles police detained a “person of interest" as he attempted to board a plane out of Los Angeles International Airport. The man allegedly drove his silver Mercedes SUV from the mall to the airport, police said.
Burton, 21, arrived at LAX from Atlanta earlier in the day and went to the Beverly Center to do some shopping, Vannasing said.
He had apparently had a dispute with some people, perhaps at the airport, Vannasing said.
“They followed him to the mall because they knew he was coming," Vannasing said. Los Angeles police officials could not immediately confirm or deny that account.
Burton was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he died, police said.
Burton was an up-and-coming rapper out of Atlanta who had recorded several singles. He was in town to work on his first album, slated to be released this summer on Jive Records, Vannasing said. His first single, released in 2007, was “Who the [Expletive] is that?"
