Man indicted on murder charge in rapper Takeoff’s shooting death
By Andy Rose and Zoe Sottile, CNN
(CNN) — A grand jury in Harris County, Texas, on Thursday indicted a man on a murder charge in connection with last year’s shooting death of Takeoff, a member of the rap group Migos.
Patrick Clark, 33, was arrested in connection with the death in December.
Takeoff, 28, was shot to death outside a private party at 810 Billiards and Bowling in Houston on November 1, authorities said. “There was an argument outside the bowling alley which led to the shooting,” Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said at the time. Another man, Cameron Joshua, was arrested and charged with unlawful carrying of a weapon in relation to the shooting.
Police described Takeoff as an “innocent bystander” to the argument that preceded the shooting.
In the arraignment document, the state claims Clark “unlawfully, intentionally and knowingly commit the felony offense of deadly conduct by knowingly discharging a firearm at and in the direction of” Takeoff.
Clark’s defense attorney, Letitia Quiñones-Hollins, told CNN that the indictment was expected.
“We would ask people to remember that getting an indictment requires meeting a very, very minimal standard of proof,” she said in a statement. “When we get inside a courtroom and in front of a jury, where we will be able to put on our evidence and cross-examine the state’s witnesses – where the standard of proof is guilt beyond reasonable doubt – we expect the jury will come back with a verdict of not guilty.”
Clark remains under house arrest on $1 million bond.
Takeoff was the youngest member of the trio Migos, alongside his uncle Quavo and rapper Offset. Artists including Justin Bieber and Drake remembered Takeoff as a talented rapper and loving friend and family member at his memorial last year.
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CNN’s Chris Boyette contributed to this report.
