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Lil Durk and his family are celebrating after the Chicago rapper was acquitted of all charges in his murder-for-hire case.
On Friday, September 11, the Grammy Award-winning rapper, born Durk Banks, was found not guilty of charges including conspiracy, two murder-for-hire charges and more. The next day, Durk thanked his attorneys, family and supporters in an Instagram post.
"Against all odds, we’re stronger together," he wrote. "Allah doesn’t make mistakes. I feel all the love and positive energy. Now let me be free to help save our kids and bring unity back to our communities. I couldn’t have made it this far without my family, my lawyers, and supporters. 🤲🏽 Freedom. Freedom. Freedom."
During the trial, prosecutors argued that Banks hired five men to carry out a shooting aimed at rival rapper Quando Rondo in Los Angeles as retaliation after Rondo's associate, Lul Tim, killed his friend King Von in 2020. They executed the shooting at a gas station in front of the Beverly Center, but only killed Rondo's cousin, Saviay'a "Lul Pab" Robinson. the prosecution called witnesses such as Kacey Hester, a.k.a. "OTF Jam." He was one of three witnesses who reportedly signed a plea deal in exchange for testimony against Durk.
Hester alleged that Durk knew what was happening and was on the phone when the hired assassins were told to head to the West Coast to carry out the plan. However, Durk's team argued that Durk's former assistant, Kavon Grant, organized the crime and obtained the weapons that were used in the shooting. They portrayed him as a disgruntled employee who was trying to impress his former boss after he was fired.
Durk maintained his innocence since he was arrested in October 2024. After the verdict was read, Lil Durk's father, Big Durk, was with family members and supporters outside of the courthouse. He said the family is feeling great about the verdict and that Durk has been "strong, focused and prayerful."
"I'm just bursting with joy right now," Durk's dad told TMZ. "Can't contain it. This is a beautiful thing for us. The family is on a high right now."
Supporters like Ye, Young Thug, G Herbo, 50 Cent and other celebrities took to social media to share their reactions. YFN Lucci said, "If you a real n***a, u gotta be happy today. RATS NEVER PROSPER."
Lil Durk may have been exonerated from his murder-for-hire case, but he still faces other charges. Federal prosecutors added a pair of racketeering charges on June 3. They claim Lil Durk allegedly runs an enterprise that engages in racketeering through violence against rivals and drug trafficking. The feds named two incidents to back up their claims: a 2019 shooting in Atlanta and a 2022 murder in Chicago. In a motion filed in July, the rapper's attorneys argued that the two new charges should be dismissed entirely or tried separately.
Judge Fitzgerald agreed to exclude the charges from Durk's trial, but didn't dismiss them. Durk will remain in custody until his upcoming federal racketeering and firearms trial on October 5. See what The Breakfast Club had to say about Lil Durk's acquittal below.