Lil Durk Arrest: What We Know About Rapper’s Alleged Involvement In Murder-For-Hire Plot

Topline

Chicago rapper Lil Durk was arrested in Florida on Thursday on murder-for-hire charges, following the arrests of five men affiliated with Lil Durk’s Only The Family hip-hop collective who were also charged with murder-for-hire in a plot that allegedly targeted the rapper Quando Rondo as retaliation for the 2020 murder of rapper King Von.

Key Facts

Lil Durk, 32, whose real name is Durk Devontay Banks, is being held in a jail in Broward County, Florida, following his Thursday arrest, according to Broward County arrest records.

Arrest records say Lil Durk was arrested on murder-for-hire charges, but the exact nature of his involvement in an alleged murder-for-hire plot is unclear.

Earlier Thursday, five men—Kavon London Grant, Deandre Dontrell Wilson, Keith Jones, David Brian Lindsey and Asa Houston—whom prosecutors allege have ties to Only The Family, were arrested in Chicago and appeared at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse, the Chicago Tribune reported.

According to an indictment filed in the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, charges against the five men include conspiracy to commit murder for hire resulting in death and the use of a machine gun resulting in death.

Prosecutors alleged the five men conspired in 2022 to kill rapper Quando Rondo as retaliation for a 2020 altercation between his crew and King Von’s crew involving an exchange of gunfire that killed King Von, for which Quando Rondo’s affiliate Timothy "Lul Tim" Leeks was charged with murder.

Prosecutors say the five men traveled to Los Angeles to shoot and kill Quando Rondo in his car, but their gunfire instead killed his cousin, Saviay’a Robinson, known as Lul Pab, who was a passenger in the vehicle.

Forbes has reached out to representatives for Lil Durk and attorneys for the five men arrested in Chicago.

Who Is Lil Durk?

Lil Durk is a Chicago rapper who formed the Only The Family group in 2010, with which he has released six albums. King Von was a member of Only The Family prior to his killing. Lil Durk had his breakthrough in the 2010s after signing to Def Jam Records and releasing the albums “Remember My Name” in 2015 and “Lil Durk 2X” in 2016. He later signed with Alamo Records and earned his first Grammy nominations for “Laugh Now Cry Later,” a collaboration with Drake, in 2021. He topped the Billboard 200 for the first time with “7220” in 2022, and released his biggest hit, “All My Life,” his Grammy-winning collaboration with J. Cole, in 2023.

Key Background

King Von, whose real name is Dayvon Daquan Bennett, was shot and killed outside of a hookah lounge in Atlanta in the early hours of Nov. 6, 2020. Local police said King Von’s group was involved in an argument with another group led by Quando Rondo, and the “argument quickly escalated to gunfire” around 3:20 a.m., resulting in six people shot and two dead. Surveillance footage published by TMZ appeared to show King Von throwing punches at Quando Rondo and his crew, which cited unnamed sources claiming King Von’s crew approached Quando Rondo as he napped in his car. Two weeks after the shooting, Quando Rondo released a song apparently addressing his role in the incident titled “End of Story.” He claimed the gunfire was “self defense,” rapping, “he shouldn't have never put his hands on me, look at the footage, that's all the evidence.”

Surprising Fact

Prior to his arrest, Lil Durk was promoting his forthcoming album, “Deep Thoughts,” which is set to release Nov. 22. He had released several new songs in October, including “Late Checkout,” which he released two weeks ago.

Further Reading

Five in Chicago accused in L.A. murder-for-hire shooting to avenge rapper King Von’s slaying (Chicago Tribune)

Quando Rondo Addresses King Von's Fatal Shooting in "End of Story" (Complex)