Silentó: American rapper sentenced to 30 years in prison for killing his cousin Frederick Rooks III
American rapper Silentó, best known for his viral 2015 dance hit Watch me (Whip/Nae Nae), has been sentenced to 30 years in prison over the shooting death of his cousin.
The 27-year-old, whose real name is Richard 'Ricky' Lamar Hawk, pleaded guilty but mentally ill to charges relating to the fatal shooting of Frederick Rooks III in 2021.
Silentó was sentenced to 30 years in prison with credit for time served since February 2021.
The Atlanta artist was initially arrested after the Dekalb County Police Department found Mr Rooks, 34, with gunshot wounds to his face and leg in January 2021.
Prosecutors claim Silentó shot his cousin multiple times before fleeing the scene.
The rapper admitted to killing Mr Rooks during a post-arrest interview with investigators and authorities said bullet casings from the scene matched the gun found on the rapper when he was arrested.
After his arrest, Silentó's publicist at the time, Chanel Hudson, said the rapper had been struggling with mental health issues.
'Over the past several years, Ricky has been suffering immensely from a series of mental illnesses,' she wrote in a statement posted online.
'We will continue in his efforts of treatment but we ask in the meantime the public uplift him and his family in immediate prayer and positive energy!!'
The rapper was diagnosed with severe bipolar disorder in jail, according to court filings.
Silentó released his most popular song Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae) in 2015 when he was a junior, or Year 11 student, at Redgan High School.
The song ignited a viral dance trend and spent 51 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No .3. It has more than 400 million Spotify streams and 1.9 billion views on YouTube.
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