Although he was shot in broad daylight near multiple potential witnesses, police say they have yet to identify any suspects in last Thursday’s slaying of Atlanta rapper James D. Lewiel.
Lewiel, who goes by the stage name OG Double Dee, was driving in his Maybach luxury vehicle — purchased just a few weeks earlier — on I-20 westbound near the Glenwood Avenue exit when someone pulled up alongside him and pumped nine bullets into the car’s double-paned windows. Photographs from the scene indicate that at least two bullets passed through the passenger side-windows and out the driver’s side.
Family members of Lewiel, stage name OG Double Dee, say they are desperate for information, offering a $10,000 reward for anyone with information leading to the shooter’s capture.
“He didn’t have any beefs with anyone,” said his sister, Pilar Lewiel. “He was a lovable person.”
DeKalb police, who did not confirm the 42-year old victim’s identity until Monday, have offered few details. Witnesses say they spotted a man fleeing in a white SUV, but specific information about the car or its driver are unavailable, DeKalb police spokeswoman Mekka Parish said.
OG Double Dee, who divided his time between Miami and Atlanta, visited South DeKalb Mall twice on Thursday, Lewiel said, dropping his brother off at their mother’s house just a few hours before the shooting.
Family members think he was followed from the mall, Pilar Lewiel said. It’s believed he was alone at the time.
James Lewiel fell into the rap game almost by accident, his sister told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was affiliated with the Atlanta-based Freebandz label, founded by rapper Future.
“He was about to take off,” as a solo act, said his sister.
James Lewiel leaves behind two sons and a daughter. His funeral will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday at Covenant Ministries Cathedral in Decatur, with burial at Kennedy Memorial Gardens in Ellenwood. Visitation will be from noon to 8 p.m. Friday at the church, located at 3592 Flat Shoals Parkway.
—Staff writer Mike Morris contributed to this article.
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