ATL Hookah Lounge Has Seen At Least 8 Shootings Since King Von Was Killed There
Atlanta, GA – Rising Chicago rapper King Von was shot and killed outside of Atlanta’s Monaco Hookah Lounge in November 2020, bringing his short life to a tragic end. But it wasn’t an isolated incident. According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, at least eight people have been shot near the lounge since King Von’s murder, two fatally.
The most recent shooting took place on Tuesday morning (January 25) around 4:30 a.m. local time. Officers were called to the area near the Chic Restaurant and Lounge at 257 Trinity Avenue where a bystander told police someone was shooting outside the club. The suspect fled before police arrived, but multiple shell casings were discovered at the scene. No injuries were reported.
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But not everyone has been so lucky. Last June, two men were injured in a shooting at Chic, the adjacent restaurant. One of the victims suffered multiple gunshot wounds. Less than a month after King Von’s murder, gunfire erupted outside of Monaco Hookah Lounge again. No injuries were reported in that incident, but police found over 30 shell casings scattered across the parking lot.
King Von was shot on November 6, 2020 during a fight with Quando Rondo’s crew. Another Chicago man, 34-year-old Mark Blakely, also lost his life that day. Timothy Leeks (also known as Lul Tim), who was shot in the melee as well, was quickly arrested for Von’s murder.
“Mr. Leeks is in police custody at Grady Hospital where he is undergoing treatment for a gunshot wound,” Atlanta police spokeswoman Marla Jean Rooker said at the time. “The homicide of Bennett is closed with this arrest.”
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) investigated the incident as an officer-involved shooting after two off-duty and one on-duty Atlanta police officers attempted to intervene in the shootout — the two off-duty officers were serving as security at the hookah bar, while the other was working nearby.
While out on bail last September, Leeks was arrested in Georgia following a high speed police chase.