A bodyguard for Floyd Mayweather was shot Monday morning after the former professional boxer’s SUV caravan pulled up to an upscale Buckhead hotel.
According to Atlanta police, three vehicles were returning to the InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta from a nightclub on Buford Highway around 2 a.m. when another vehicle pulled alongside them and started firing in what is believed to be a targeted attack.
The bodyguard, identified as Greg La Rosa, was a passenger in the lead SUV. The group had spent the evening at the Medusa restaurant and lounge, Channel 2 Action News reported.
“We believe that Mr. Mayweather may have been in one of the other vehicles in the caravan and was not injured,” Atlanta police spokesman Donald Hannah confirmed.
Credit: JOHN SPINK / JSPINK@AJC.COM
Credit: JOHN SPINK / JSPINK@AJC.COM
All three of the vehicles then quickly drove away and were followed temporarily, police said. Eventually they lost the suspect’s vehicle.
La Rosa was then driven to Grady Memorial Hospital. He was treated for a gunshot wound to the lower leg and has since been released.
“At this time, it appears that this was not a random shooting and the shooter was targeting the victim’s vehicle,” Hannah said.
According to his Facebook page, La Rosa has worked with Mayweather's security team since 2014. A spokesman for Mayweather Promotions, based in Las Vegas, said she did not have information to release about the shooting.
Police said shots were fired from the passenger side of the suspect’s vehicle, which has been described as a white SUV. Authorities are working to determine the make and model.
The investigation temporarily shut down southbound lanes of Peachtree Road at Highland Drive.
Credit: JOHN SPINK / JSPINK@AJC.COM
Credit: JOHN SPINK / JSPINK@AJC.COM
“We’re not exactly sure what happened earlier in the evening that led to the shooting,” Hannah said.
During his storied career, Mayweather held multiple world titles in five weight classes. He retired last year with an unbeaten record (50-0). He now works as a boxing promoter.
VIEW: Map of crime in metro Atlanta
NEW: Join the discussion at the AJC's Crime & Safety Facebook group
Know what's really going on with crime and public safety in your metro Atlanta community, including breaking news, trial coverage, trends and the latest on unsolved cases. Sign up for the AJC's crime and safety newsletter delivered weekly to your inbox.
In other news:
About the Author
