Sexyy Red Sends Condolences After Fatal Shooting Near Video Set in Florida
After one person was killed and another wounded in a shooting across the street from a video shoot by Sexyy Red and Sukihana, the “Pound Town” rapper released a statement on her Instagram Stories on Thursday night (Sept. 14) clarifying that the violence was unrelated to her project while sending her thoughts to the victim’s family.
“I send my condolences to the family of the man who lost his life and prayers up for the person who was wounded,” Red (born Janae Wherry) wrote in her Story. “But i gotta address the rumors that it happened at my video shoot bc s–t is not true, at all. To be clear it happened at a gas station across the street from my video set.”
Red said that both the Florida Highway Patrol and Broward County Sheriff’s office “confirmed that the shooting wasn’t on my set.” She also assured fans that she was secure, “thanks to my production team getting all the paperwork right and working with the Broward Sheriff’s Office to hire off-duty’s to make sure everyone was safe.”
Red added that the shoot was completed at a different location and that everyone involved was able to go home safely afterwards. “Period. I’m just trying to work hard, make good music, connect with my fans,” she wrote. “Please don’t try to twist narratives and put this on a b–ch.”
WPLG Local 10 reported that the shooting took place near the Oakland Park Flea Market Mall in Oakland Park, FL around 8 p.m., “not far” from the video shoot. Upon arrival, responding deputies found two people suffering from gunshot wounds, with one unnamed victim pronounced dead at the scene and another transported to a local hospital; the station reported that police were seen arresting two people following the shooting.
At press time a spokesperson for the Broward County Sheriff’s office had not returned Billboard‘s request for additional information on the incident.
This week the initial TikTok Billboard Top 50 chart — dated Sept. 16 — featured Red’s rising hit “SkeeYee” as the tally’s first No. 1; the song also came in at No. 67 on the Billboard Hot 100 dated Sept. 16. Sexyy and Sukihana dropped the video for their “Hood Rats” collaboration last month. It was unclear at press time what video the two were shooting during on Thursday.
Gil Kaufman
Billboard