Pop Smoke Was Murdered by 15-Year-Old, Detective Testifies

More details continue to come in surrounding the February 2020 killing of Brooklyn, N.Y. rapper Pop Smoke.

According to new testimony from a detective involved in the case, Pop, born Bashar Jackson, was fatally shot by a 15-year-old who was one of the five people arrested in connection with the rapper’s slaying, which occurred following a home invasion, reports New York Daily News.

On Friday (May 7), LAPD Det. Carlos Camacho testified during a preliminary hearing for suspect, Corey Walker, 20, that the unnamed 15-year-old defendant admitted to pulling the trigger during a recorded interview with a cellmate last May at a juvenile detention center. “[The teen] admitted that he shot the victim three times with a Baretta 9 [mm.],” Camacho told the court.

“They got into a fight, and he shot him three times,” Camacho said the interview reveals. “He said he shot him on the back. He said that when the individuals got inside, the suspects confronted [Pop Smoke], who was in the shower naked.”

Camacho also testified that Walker admitted his role in the slaying as well to an informant who was placed in his cell following his July 2020 arrest. “He said that when the individuals got inside, the suspects confronted [Pop Smoke], who was in the shower naked,” Camacho testified.

Walker was recorded telling the informant they wore ski masks and commanded the rapper to take off his jewelry. Pop reportedly initially started to comply, to which the intruders told him “Thank you.” However, according to Walker, the rapper then fought back. He rushed robbers but was pistol whipped before being shot by the 15-year-old. They were only able to make off with one of Pop’s expensive watches, which they later sold for $2,000, investigators say.

During the hearing, Walker’s defense attorney, Christopher Darden, argued for murder charges against his client to be dropped, saying Walker only drove the car to the home and was not directly involved with the robbery or killing. Judge H. Clay Jacke II denied Darden’s request and Walker pleaded not guilty. Walker is due back in court for rearrangement on June 3.

The new testimony from Det. Camacho aligns with new details revealed during testimony on Thursday (May 6), from LAPD detective Christian Carrasco. He relayed statements from a woman who was in an adjacent room at the home at the time of the shooting. The woman claims the intruders breached the home through a second-floor balcony, put a gun to her head and told her “Shut the fuck up. Do you want to die?”

“She heard a struggle coming from the shower area and heard Mr. Jackson screaming,” Detective Carrasco said. “Mr. Jackson ran out of the bathroom and then she heard a loud pop and [heard] Mr. Jackson fall to the ground.” Carrasco also testified the woman said two of the intruders kicked Pop after he was shot.

The individuals involved in the crime had no connection to the rapper and reportedly saw his address on a social media post when they decided to try and rob him on Feb. 19, 2020 around 4 a.m. Police initially had very few leads in the case. Six months later, Walker, Keandre Rodgers, Jaquan Murphy and two minors whose names are being withheld because they were underage at the time were arrested and are being charged with the murder and robbery. Walker and Rodgers could face the death penalty or life in prison if found guilty or murder.

XXL has reached out to the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office for a comment.

See Rappers We’ve Lost in 2020