Rapper Lil Tjay shot during robbery attempt, suspects arrested
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Rich Fury/Getty Images Lil Tjay
Three suspects have been arrested after rapper Lil Tjay was shot in New Jersey just after midnight on Wednesday.
The Bergen County Prosecutor's Office confirmed that Lil Tjay, real name Tione Jayden Merritt, was wounded multiple times during an attempted robbery. Three suspects have been arrested: Mohamed Konate (on charges of attempted murder, armed robbery, and weapons charges), and Jeffrey Valdez and Antoine Boyd (on charges of unlawful weapon possession).
The shooting occurred at shopping plaza 14 the Promenade in Edgewater, according to a press release from the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office. At 12:08 a.m. ET, the Edgewater Police Department responded to a 911 call at the address and found the 21-year-old rapper with gun wounds.
At another location, an Exxon Station, officers located another victim, identified as Boyd, with one gunshot wound. Both were transported to a hospital for treatment. TMZ previously reported that Lil Tjay underwent emergency surgery.
An investigation conducted by the prosecutor's office and Edgewater Police Department revealed that Konate attempted to commit armed robbery against Lil Tjay, Valdez, and Boyd when the shooting occurred.
Lil Tjay rose to prominence in 2018 with his track "Resume." The rapper has released four EPs and albums, including F.N. and True 2 Myself in 2019, State of Emergency in 2020, and Destined 2 Win in 2021.
Destined 2 Win featured the single "Calling My Phone," Lil Tjay's collaboration with 6lack, which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became his highest-charting song to date.
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