HOUSTON — New York rapper Benny the Butcher was shot during a robbery attempt outside of a store in Houston, authorities said Sunday.
Houston police spokeswoman Jodi Silva said the 35-year-old performer, whose real name is Jeremie Pennick, was shot in the leg about 4:30 p.m. Saturday in the parking lot of a Walmart on the southwest side of the city.
As Pennick stepped out of his Rolls-Royce, five individuals wearing masks approached he and two others who were with him, demanding their chains, Silva said.
The trio began taking off their jewelry but were not moving fast enough for one of the suspects, who subsequently shot the rapper, Silva added.
She said the suspects fled the scene, and Pennick was taken to the hospital. He was in stable condition and expected to survive. The people with him during the shooting were not wounded.
Silva said the suspects are at large, and an investigation is underway. A description of the suspects was not immediately released, but investigators said they were seen in a Chevy Malibu.
A representative for Pennick didn’t respond to a request for comment.
The rapper from Buffalo, New York, is part of the hip-hop group Griselda and last month released his second studio album, “Burden of Proof.”
He also recently signed a management deal with Roc Nation, an entertainment agency founded by superstar rapper and entrepreneur Jay-Z, according to Spotify.
Pennick is at least the third rapper in less than a week to become the victim of gun violence in Texas.
Hours before the incident involving Pennick, another hip-hop artist, Boosie Badazz, whose real name is Torrence Hatch, was shot in the leg.
It occurred just a day after Hatch, 38, attended a vigil for slain Dallas rapper Mo3, who was shot and killed last Wednesday during a daytime attack on a highway in his hometown. Mo3′s real name is Melvin Noble.
Hatch, a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, told his fans in a Facebook post Sunday that he was OK.
Police have not announced whether arrests have been made in either case. WFAA-TV reported authorities have said there is no evidence indicating Saturday’s shootings were connected to Noble’s death.
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