Rapper Silento has been suffering from mental health issues for several years, according to his publicist Chanel Hudson.
Hudson made the claim on Instagram, shortly after news broke last night that rapper Silento, whose real name is Richard “Ricky” Hawk, was arrested on Monday in DeKalb County and charged with the murder of his cousin, 34-year-old Frederick Rooks.
Atlanta rapper Silento is best known to rap fans for his 2015 hit single Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae).
Hudson took to her Instagram Stories last night to claim that Ricky has been suffering from mental health issues for several years. She pleaded with fans to show support for the rap star.
“Please send my client Silento some positive vibrations,” Hudson wrote. “Over the past several years, Ricky has been suffering immensely from a series of mental illnesses. We will continue in his efforts of treatment, but we ask in the meantime the public uplift him and his family in immediate prayer & positive energy!!”
“Ricky is a beautiful soul, and we hope that the same people who came up whippin’ and nay naying with him, continue to support him and lifted in prayer. God bless,” she concluded.
Police investigators obtained footage from surveillance cameras
The DeKalb County Police Department announced the news of Silento’s arrest yesterday on social media.
According to the statement, 23-year-old Ricky Hawk was arrested for the murder of his cousin, Frederick Rooks. Rooks was found shot to death on January 21 on Deep Shoals Circles, Panthersville, southeast of Atlanta.
The victim was reportedly shot in the face and a leg, according to a DeKalb County Police Department incident report, NBC News reported.
Neighbors who heard multiple gunshots called the police.
Investigators found eight bullet casings at the murder scene, according to TMZ.
The Police said they hadn’t established a clear motive for the shooting, but they obtained footage from surveillance cameras in the neighborhood.
The cameras reportedly captured a shooting incident followed by cars fleeing the scene.
Police arrested Silento following an investigation and charged him with murder.
He was being held in DeKalb County Jail.
Rapper Silento had previous brushes with the law
Rapper Silento had multiple brushes with the law in 2020. Police arrested the rapper in October after he was found driving his BMW at 143 mph on Interstate 85.
He claimed at the time that he was speeding to escape fans who were following him after he left a club in Gwinnett County.
He was also arrested in September and charged with felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon.
The latest development comes after Monsters and Critics reported that Vacaville Police arrested rapper Uzzy Marcus’s brother, Raymond Weber, aka Zino, and charged him with murdering two women.