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Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Saturday shooting of 11 people in Montgomery tied to ongoing rivalry between rap groups

MONTGOMERY, Al.
The Saturday night shooting at a Montgomery nightclub that left one person dead and 10 injured involved a grudge against a rap group called Fam Bois, who had just taken to the stage to perform at a private party, a friend  of the young man who died says.

Though police have not publicly made a connection, witnesses and family members say it is the third violent outbreak attributable to a rivalry between rappers in the Capital City.

Montgomery police say that as of Tuesday, no charges have been made regarding the Saturday night shooting at the Island Lounge. According to MPD spokesperson Sgt. Donna Mackey, one person was taken in for questioning but later released.


The 20-year-old who died - DeSamuel Thomas - suffered multiple gunshots at the club on East South Boulevard. The 10 others injured in the incident were taken to local hospitals and are said to all be in stable condition as of Tuesday morning. 

Thomas' death marked Montgomery's 27th homicide this year, and the second for a member of the Fam Bois since August.

According to reporting by WSFA, the shooting is the latest in a series of violent outbreaks in Montgomery involving young people from two Montgomery rap groups.

The news station reported that the mother of the victim's newborn baby, Briana Thomas, said that she believes the crime stems from an ongoing rivalry between two Montgomery rap groups from Trenholm Court and Gibbs Village.

Saturday's shooting marked the third violent outbreak in three months said to be associated with the the Fam Bois and the Crecent Road Heroz' ongoing scuffle.  

In August, two young people, 21-year-old Jaderico Langford -- said to also be a member of the Fam Bois -- and 18-year-old Deswana Gregory,  were shot to death in Gibbs Village.

Briana Thomas told WSFA that Langford and DeSamuel Thomas were best friends. 

Police have made two arrests in the Gibbs Village case as well the arrest of seven other young people, ranging in age from 18 to 23, in the Sept. 24 Oak Park shooting that injured nine people.

According to police, the Oak Park shooting was also related to the same rivalry between two Montgomery rap groups. Authorities also stated in testimony that rap music videos posted on YouTube included names of the targeted victims, but did not say if any of the victims were hit during the family gathering of present and former Trenholm Court residents. 

While MPD will not comment on the connection, they have stated that gang violence is an "ongoing problem in Montgomery."

In October, five men, said to be affiliated with the Montgomery "blood" gang, were arrested in connection with a string of crimes dating back as far as 2009. 

The investigation into the Island Lounge shooting is ongoing and police are still working to track down suspects. Anyone with information is urged to call the MPD at 334-241-2651 or 334-262-4000 or CrimeStoppers at 334-215-STOP.

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