Three men have been arrested in connection with the murder of beloved Memphis rapper Young Dolph.
The 36-year-old was fatally shot on November 17, 2021, at Makeda’s Homemade Cookies in Memphis while buying baked goods for his mother.
Police believe they have the two gunmen involved in the fatal shooting of Dolph in custody.
Justin Johnson, 23, who raps under the moniker Straight Dropp, was captured in Indiana on Tuesday after claiming he would turn himself in on Monday.
As previously reported, the rapper and accused killer initially released a music video instead of handing himself in, and promoted it on his now-deleted Instagram page.
There are rumors his Instagram activity gave law enforcement clues about his location, but this has not been confirmed.
He faces charges of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, employing a firearm during a felony and theft of property worth $10,000 or more.
The second accused gunman, Cornelius Smith, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder charges.
The 32-year-old Cornelius was already in custody in Mississippi, according to News Channel 3 Memphis, but he was indicted in Shelby County for the murder charges.
Young Dolph’s brother was at the scene of the fatal shooting
Cornelius Smith also faces attempted murder charges for allegedly shooting at Dolph’s brother, who law enforcement revealed was at the Makeda’s Cookies store when the legendary rapper was gunned down.
FOX13 reporter Jeremy Pierre revealed that Cornelius Smith had been extradited from Mississippi, in a post which also featured a mugshot.
“Accused Young Dolph killer, Cornelius Smith will be in court at 201 for his first court appearance since being extradited to Shelby County from Desoto County. These first hearings are usually to discuss bonds and legal representation,” he wrote.
It is unclear whether Dolph’s brother was wounded during the brazen attack. The late rapper is survived by four siblings, including two brothers.
The name of the brother involved was not released in the reporting.
Third suspect arrested for allegedly assisting
Shundale Barnett is the third person accused in connection with Dolph’s murder. He is reportedly from Memphis but resides in Dallas, Texas.
He faces charges of accessory after the fact for allegedly helping Justin Johnson evade capture, according to law enforcement officials.
Barnett was a passenger in a car driven by Johnson when he was captured on Highway 42 in Indiana.
In the press conference held by Memphis law enforcement officials following the arrests, they credit the tip line for helping with the investigation.
Law enforcement reveals the investigation is ongoing; therefore, more arrests may still be to come in connection to Dolph’s murder.
Police have not revealed a motive for the shooting of Dolph; furthermore, the evidence used to charge the three men in connection with the shooting has not been released to the public.