San Diego Union-Tribune

Man captured, another indicted in shooting

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A Tennessee man wanted in the fatal shooting of rapper Young Dolph in his hometown of Memphis, Tenn., was captured Tuesday in Indiana, while another man was indicted on murder charges, authoritie­s said.

A grand jury indicted Cornelius Smith, 32, on first-degree murder and other charges in the shooting that killed Young Dolph, the Shelby County, Tenn., District Attorney’s Office said. Smith, who was arrested

last month on an auto-theft warrant involving the vehicle used in Young Dolph’s killing, was being held without bond.

Separately, the U.S. Marshals Service said Justin Johnson, 23, was arrested, after a murder warrant was issued for him this month.

The agency did not say where in Indiana that Johnson was found.

Young Dolph, whose real name was Adolph Thornton Jr., was gunned down in a daylight ambush at a popular cookie shop on Nov. 17.

Law enforcemen­t officials said they would hold a joint news conference today to provide more details.

The shooting stunned Memphis and shocked the entertainm­ent world. City officials and community activists pointed to the killing as a symbol of the dangers of gun violence in Memphis, where more than 300 homicides were reported last year.

Known for his depictions of tough street life and his independen­t approach to the music business, Young Dolph was admired for charitable works in Memphis.

He organized Thanksgivi­ng food giveaways, donated thousands of dollars to high schools, and paid rent and covered funeral costs for people in the

Castalia Heights neighborho­od where he was raised.

When he was killed, the 36-year-old rapper was in Memphis to hand out Thanksgivi­ng turkeys and visit a cancer center.

He had three albums reach the top 10 on the Billboard 200, with 2020’s “Rich Slave” peaking at No. 4.

Young Dolph had survived previous shootings. He was shot multiple times in September 2017 after a fight outside a Los Angeles hotel.

In February of that year, his SUV was shot at in Charlotte, N.C., more than 100 times. That was the inspiratio­n for the song “100 Shots.”

He said he survived because he had bulletproo­f panels in his vehicle.

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