An aspiring Florida rapper was shot and killed over the weekend after he shared his location on social media and challenged his enemies to find him. Rapper Rollie Bands, was reportedly shot and killed minutes after he shared his location on Instagram and sent a message to his enemies to come through if they were brave enough.
Bands’ tragic death has left the entire music community shocked. Fox 13 reported that authorities from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said they were investigating a murder that occurred on Saturday at the IQ Apartments on Bruce B Downs Boulevard. However, they are yet to make any arrests.
Fatal Move
No one even Bands would have thought that he would be killed minutes after making the fatal post. On Saturday evening Bands posted an Instagram story challenging his enemies to meet him at his apartment. And he then gave them his location.
“A lot of these n-ggas know where I live at fr. I sleep in peace. If a n-gga want smoke I’m at my crib in 5 minutes,” wrote in the caption of the video.
Hillsborough County deputies said that they received a report of a man being shot in the apartment complex’s parking lot. However, by the time they reached the scene, Bands was already mortally wounded and lying in a pool of blood, while the shooters had fled.
According to the authorities, the man was taken to a nearby hospital but died from his injuries. It was later identified that the victim was Bands.
Investigators believe that the rapper knew the shooters, who tracked him after he shared his location.
Social Media Responsible
According to the police, Bands posted on his Instagram story that he was going back home and that anyone who wanted to meet him there for a smoke was welcome to do so. He made sure to give them a precise time frame for his arrival.
He promised to arrive at his location in five minutes. Interestingly, the young rapper was shot dead less than five minutes after positing the message. This means the shooters were somewhere near his home and used Bands message as a tipoff.
According to Fox 13, he was followed not only on social media but on his way home. As he arrived outside of his apartment just moments after sharing the Instagram story, he was shot and killed.
It’s unknown if Bands had interpersonal problems when he shared the message, but minutes after getting home, he was shot and died.
Police still need to identify and apprehend the suspect. Online accounts claim that a lone gunman was responsible for the crime, however police reports claim that the shooter knew the artist.
Meanwhile, many have reacted to the rapper’s passing, with some criticizing his actions for their blatant ignorance. Rapper and aspiring musician Rollie Bands belonged to the hip hop scene.
Bands, who was born and raised in Tempa, Florida, is well known for his songs “Struggle,” “Reminiscin,” and “Close Ties.” He had a 5K-follower following on Instagram, a popular social networking site. Rollie provided his location on the platform, which helped his operators find him and murder him.
Since then, people have flooded his social media account with comments and postings mocking his death.
“A real role model to kids on how not to throw your life away because you are trying to appear cool on social media,” one user wrote.
No Jumper also confirmed the news of Bands’ murder via a tweet. The tweet read, “Tampa Rapper Rollie Bands Shot and Killed Outside His Apartment Moments After Posting A Message To The Opps “If a N***a Want Smoke Pull Up I’m at My Crib In 5 Minutes,” he wrote.