Funeral proceedings for the late rapper, Takeoff, began at 12 p.m. ET Friday as fans and loved ones gathered for the "Celebration of Life for Takeoff."
The service is being held in State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. The Migos member grew up in the city of Lawrenceville, located roughly 30 miles west of the Georgia capital. Tickets to the event were open to Georgia residents but quickly sold out.
Takeoff, whose real name is Kirsnick Khari Ball, was fatally shot last week outside a private party hosted at a Houston bowling alley. The 28-year-old was shot on November 1 around 2:30 a.m., and police had declared one person deceased when they arrived at the scene. Two other victims in the incident were also taken to nearby hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
Thousands lined up in the rain on a dreary day in Atlanta to pay their respects to the rapper, some equipped with signs that said "stop the violence." Photos from the funeral can be viewed below:
Takeoff's record label, which also represents his group Migos, issued a statement on the day following the shooting saying that the rapper had been killed by a "stray bullet."
"Senseless violence and a stray bullet has taken another life from this world and we are devastated," the record company wrote in their statement.
Migos, which reached four Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 entries during their career as a group, is made up of Takeoff, his uncle Quavo, and Quavo's cousin, Offset.
The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences in Houston found in their autopsy that Takeoff had died from gunshot wounds to the head and torso.
Houston Police are still looking to speak with people who attended the private party at 810 Billiards & Bowling last week, Police Chief Troy Finner said at a press conference last week. Finner added that Takeoff was "well respected" and that the police had "no reason to believe he was involved in anything criminal at the time" of the shooting.
Takeoff's death was called a "freak accident" by rapper 21 Savage, who said in an interview on the Off the Record with DJ Akademiks podcast that the incident will impact the rest of his life.
During the podcast, 21 Savage said that Takeoff was "not confrontational" and that he was "really quiet unless he knows you."
The Grammy-winning rapper added that Takeoff's sudden death was "an eye opener" for himself and for others.
"A lot of people are gonna learn from this situation and realize a lot of s*** isn't worth it," he said.
Newsweek will continue to update this story as photos from the funeral are released.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Kaitlin Lewis is a Newsweek reporter on the Night Team based in Boston, Massachusetts. Her focus is reporting on national ... Read more
