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Artist News Legal
Troy Ave denies attempted murder at TI concert shooting
By Andy Malt | Published on Wednesday 1 June 2016
Rapper Troy Ave, real name Roland Collins, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of attempted murder following that incident backstage at a TI show last week, despite CCTV footage of him opening fire in the greenroom.
As previously reported, one person was killed and three, including Collins, were injured in the shooting at New York’s Irving Plaza venue. The rapper, who had been scheduled to perform at the show, was later arrested and charged with attempted murder and illegal weapons possession. He also potentially faces a murder charge, pending the results of ballistics tests.
The man killed, Ronald McPhatter, had been Collins’ bodyguard and, it is alleged, was shot by accident by his employer, who then shot himself in the leg, also by accident. It is also alleged that Collins had been targeting rapper Maino during the incident, with whom he had been feuding, and who had just left the stage.
However, at a court hearing on Monday, his lawyer put forward a different version of events. “What really happened here is Mr Collins here is the real victim”, said attorney Scott Leemon, according to New York Daily News. “The person who was killed at this event, he died a hero. He was his bodyguard. He wasn’t shot by Mr Collins. He was a lifelong friend”.
“This eleven seconds of video that the NYPD released, it doesn’t say what happened before, it doesn’t say what happened after”, the lawyer added. “The scientific evidence will show [Collins] didn’t shoot himself”.
Collins was remanded in custody without bail. The case continues.
