Rap artist Hurricane Chris acquitted over man’s death

A jury in the US has acquitted rapper Hurricane Chris, known for the hit single A Bay Bay, over the death of a man shot several times at a petrol station in 2020.

The panel in Louisiana found the 34-year-old artist, whose real name is Christopher Dooley, not guilty of second-degree murder over the killing of Danzeria Farris Jr, 32, and illegal possession of stolen things, news outlets reported.

A Caddo Parish Grand Jury indicted Dooley in October 2020 in connection with the June 19 2020 killing of Mr Farris, who was shot several times at a Texaco petrol station in Shreveport.

He was pronounced dead in hospital.

Dooley had been on trial in state district court for more than a week before the verdict.

Prosecutors called several witnesses, while the defence presented two, including Dooley.

“I wanna thank God, my attorneys at the Washington & Wells Law Firm, and my family for standing with me as my life was on the line,” Dooley told The Shade Room.

“They wanted to give me life if I was found guilty. Now I can hug my son and think about raising him to be a man. This situation drained me and affected my health greatly. God I give u all the glory. I got my life back and words can’t explain how I feel. Thanks to everyone who wished me well.”

The Shreveport native, who is the godson of former Democratic state representative Barbara Norton, is best known for his 2007 album 51/50 Ratchet, which includes his hit single A Bay Bay.

That track’s music video has nearly 30 million views on YouTube.