US rapper Lil Durk has been acquitted of all federal charges in a high-profile murder-for-hire case involving a 2022 shooting in Los Angeles that killed the cousin of rapper Quando Rondo.
A federal jury in Los Angeles found the Grammy-winning rapper, whose real name is Durk Banks, not guilty after three days of deliberations. He had faced charges including conspiracy, stalking resulting in death and murder for hire.
Prosecutors had alleged that Lil Durk organised and financed a revenge attack targeting Atlanta rapper Tyquian Bowman, popularly known as Quando Rondo. The alleged plot was linked to the 2020 killing of Durk’s close friend and fellow rapper, Dayvon “King Von” Bennett.
However, the attack in August 2022 did not kill Bowman. Instead, his 24-year-old cousin, Saviay’a Robinson, was fatally shot during an ambush near the Beverly Center in Los Angeles.
During the trial, prosecutors relied heavily on testimony from former associates who had reached plea agreements. The defence challenged their credibility and argued that Lil Durk had been wrongly blamed for the shooting. The rapper had consistently denied the allegations.
The acquittal represents a major legal victory for Lil Durk and is significant because the case had attracted widespread attention due to his status as a prominent figure in Chicago’s drill music scene and the seriousness of the allegations.
However, the verdict does not mean the rapper is free. Lil Durk remains in federal custody while awaiting a separate trial involving racketeering and firearms-related allegations. That proceeding is scheduled for October 5.
Lil Durk rose to mainstream prominence through collaborations and successful albums, including The Voice of the Heroes and 7220. He won a Grammy Award in 2024 for “All My Life,” further establishing his position in contemporary hip-hop.
The upcoming racketeering trial means Lil Durk’s legal battle is not yet over despite his acquittal in the murder-for-hire case.
