Men with ties to Rod Wave linked to St. Pete shooting, police say
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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) — Three men tied to rapper Rod Wave landed behind bars after a shooting that injured four people on Easter Sunday.
Police said they arrested the rapper, whose real name is Rodarius Green, on a weapons charge Wednesday morning, but he was detained based on inaccurate information, and has since been released.
Three other men tied to the rapper were arrested in connection with a shooting that happened outside the Sonic Sports Bar and Lounge located at 400 49th Street South on Easter Sunday.
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Police said a large crowd had gathered outside the bar and four people were shot. Their injuries were said to be non-life-threatening.
“Mentally, they’re hurt, mentally this community is hurting, because we are tired of the senseless shooting in our community,” Police Chief Anthony Holloway said.
Investigators identified two homes connected to the suspects in the shooting, one in St. Pete and another in Manatee County. Both homes were rented by Wave or one of his businesses, officials said.
On Monday evening, a SWAT team executed a search warrant at one of the homes, which is located at 526 Palm Avenue North in St. Pete. Two men were arrested on drug and weapons charges, but the suspected shooter was not found, according to police.
Three suspects linked to the shooting were eventually arrested early Wednesday morning by detectives in Manatee County who worked with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.
Kevontre Wesby, 21, was arrested for attempted second-degree murder, carrying a concealed firearm, and delinquent in possession of a firearm.
Keith Wesby, 22, and 24-year-old Christopher Atkins were arrested for attempted second-degree murder, authorities said.
Police said they are still actively searching for two more suspects.
“These individuals fired into the crowd; at the scene we recovered over 60 casings,” Assistant Chief Michael Kovacsev said.
Police said multiple items were seized during the investigation, including five rifles, five handguns, ammunition, over $10,000, and miscellaneous pieces of jewelry.
Photo courtesy of the St. Pete Police Department Photo courtesy of the St. Pete Police Department Photo courtesy of the St. Pete Police Department Photo courtesy of the St. Pete Police Department Photo courtesy of the St. Pete Police Department Photo courtesy of the St. Pete Police Department Photo courtesy of the St. Pete Police Department
Since March 22, police said they’ve been investigating a “violent group” involved in drug trafficking and shootings in St. Petersburg. The group identifies themselves as the “YG’s” or “Young Gangsters,” and several members have been seen with rapper Rod Wave since last summer.
“One of the reasons why this came together so quickly is because of the hard work we’ve been putting into this for the past year,” Kovacsev said.
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Police said three men arrested in connection with the shooting can be linked to the YG’s and had been living in homes and driving vehicles that are registered in Wave’s name or his record label’s name.
An investigation into the shooting is ongoing.
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