Bashar Barakah Jackson, widely known as Pop Smoke, was a rising star in the rap scene when his life was tragically cut short on February 19, 2020. At the age of 20, Pop Smoke was staying in a rented house in Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles, when he became the victim of a violent home invasion. The house, owned by Teddi Mellencamp and her husband Edwin Arroyave, was rented through Airbnb. Around 4:30 a.m., five hooded men, one of whom was armed, broke into the house through a second-story balcony.
The intruders confronted a woman inside, holding a gun to her head and threatening her life. Shortly after, an altercation ensued, and Pop Smoke was shot multiple times. Despite being rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead a few hours later. The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner later confirmed that the cause of death was a gunshot wound to the chest.
The investigation into Pop Smoke's death initially led the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) to suspect gang involvement due to his connections with the Crips. However, it was later determined that the motive was likely a robbery gone wrong. The intruders had stolen Pop Smoke's gold watch and other jewelry before fleeing the scene. The day before the murder, Pop Smoke had posted images on social media that inadvertently revealed the address of the house, potentially alerting the assailants to his location.
In the months following the murder, significant progress was made in the investigation. By May 2021, a 15-year-old suspect, the youngest of the four intruders, admitted to killing Pop Smoke during a recorded interview with a cellmate at a juvenile detention center. The teenager revealed that Pop Smoke initially complied with their demands for jewelry but then attempted to fight back, leading to a confrontation in which he was pistol-whipped and shot with a Beretta M92. The stolen Rolex was later sold for $2,000.
Legal proceedings ensued, with multiple arrests and charges. The 15-year-old shooter, whose name has been withheld due to his age, was charged with first-degree murder and other related offenses. Another suspect, who was 17 at the time of the crime, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and home invasion robbery, receiving a sentence of four years and two months in a juvenile facility. Two other suspects, Corey Walker and Keandre Rodgers, were also charged with murder during the commission of a robbery and burglary. The case highlighted the tragic consequences of a robbery that escalated into a fatal encounter, cutting short the life of a promising young artist.
