Snellville man charged in Atlanta rapper's death
Los Angeles police arrested a man Tuesday in connection with the slaying of Atlanta rapper Dolla, who was shot in the head outside a popular Beverly Hills mall a day earlier.
The man, identified as Aubrey Louis Berry of Snellville, was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport with a gun on Monday night and was charged with murder. He was being held on $1 million bail.
Dolla, born Roderick Anthony Burton II, was gunned down at 3 p.m. Monday while waiting in the valet area of the Beverly Center, publicist Sue Vannasing said. He was accompanied by another local rapper, D.J. Shabbazz, and fellow Jive recording artist Scrapp DeLeon.
Police believe Dolla, 21, was involved in an altercation at the mall before the shooting, which reportedly sent nearby restaurant patrons diving for cover. The rapper was taken to taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he died.
Latimes.com reported that police think Berry, 23, was one of at least two people who drove off in a silver Mercedes-Benz SUV after the mall fight. Vannasing told latimes.com that Dolla also was involved in an altercation on a flight from Atlanta to L.A., but it was not clear whether the run-in with passengers on the flight was related to the shooting.
Berry was found at the airport with a handgun, airport police spokesman Sgt. Jim Holcomb told the Associated Press. Latimes.com reported that the SUV was found in the airport parking lot.
"As the officers approached the suspect, they asked him 'Do you know why we're here?'" Holcomb told AP. "He put his (hands) up in the air and said, 'Yes, I've got a gun in my waistband. Don't shoot me.'"
Police recovered a loaded 9mm semiautomatic handgun. Los Angeles Police spokeswoman Karen Rayner said two other "persons of interest" — one male, one female — who were with Berry at the airport were being questioned but neither has been charged in connection with the shooting. They were detained before attempting to board a plane out of Los Angeles International Airport, about 10 miles from the Beverly Center.
Dolla had just arrived in Los Angeles earlier Monday, his publicist said. He was recording his first album, "Another Day, Another Dolla," which was to be released on Akon's Konvict Muzik label.
"He had a very promising career," Vannasing said. "He was being hyped as the next Tupac [Shakur]. He chose music to get off the streets."
Dolla was born in Chicago in 1988, according the Times, and moved with his family to Los Angeles.
He came to Atlanta when he was 5 after his father shot himself in front of the rapper and his sister.
"He was the man of the house," Vannasing said.
His mother, Joyce Burton, still resides in Atlanta, where Dolla's funeral will be held, Vannasing said.
News of the murder spread rapidly on Twitter. The rapper had just opened an account there earlier Monday.
According to his official MySpace page, Dolla began performing in local showcases at age 12 with his group Da Razkals Cru. He was signed to Elektra Records in 2001, his Web site says. The label eventually dissolved, and the group split in 2003, when Dolla said he returned to Atlanta to focus on a solo career.
"I was disappointed but all that made me do was work harder," he said. "It was a stepping stone."
He soon signed with Jive, where, collaborating with former Elektra acquaintance Akon, he released his first single "Who The [expletive] Is That?" featuring T-Pain.
"My music is universal," Dolla said on his Web site. "I can do street music or pop music. But whatever I do, I attempt to make meaningful songs with substance."
Staff writer Mike Morris contributed to this article.
About the Author
A native Atlantan, Boone joined the AJC staff in 2007. He quickly carved out a niche covering crime stories, assuming the public safety beat in 2014. He's covered some of the biggest trials this decade, from Hemy Neuman to Ross Harris to Chip Olsen, the latter of which was featured on Season 7 of the AJC's award-winning "Breakdown" podcast.
