HOLLYWOOD, Fla. — The FBI Miami field office released more details Tuesday about a shooting outside the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood that left rapper Offset injured.
Agents are asking anyone with information about the shooting to come forward,
According to the FBI, the shooting occurred shortly before 7:30 p.m. on April 6.
“A large group of subjects assaulted a lone victim when one of the subjects produced a handgun and fired a single shot which struck the victim,” the FBI said in a news release. “After the shots were fired, the subjects then attempted to remove the wounded victim’s watch. The watch was not stolen.”
Offset, 34, whose real name is Kiari Kendrell Cephus, was hospitalized after the shooting, while fellow rapper Lil Tjay was arrested on charges of disorderly conduct-affray and operating in traffic without a valid license.
The 24-year-old Lil Tjay, whose real name is Tione Jayden Merritt, has not been charged in the shooting, which happened outside of the building’s valet area, and denied that any fight occurred between him and Offset.
“I don’t do no damn fightin‘,” Lil Tjay told media outlets as he walked out of the Fort Lauderdale jail.
He gave an expletive-laden account of what he said happened.
“That n---- shot me. That n---- shot me. That n---- is a rat. Cap n----,” Lil Tjay said. “Weirdos. Y’all gettin’ a good a-- interview.”
Offset has since been released from the hospital.
The FBI confirmed the suspects fled the scene in two Chevrolet SUV’s after the shooting -- a matte gray Tahoe and a black Suburban.
“The black Suburban fled the area towards Hollywood, Florida, while the Tahoe fled southbound towards Miami,” the news release stated.
Offset was part of the rap trio, Migos, before going out on his own.
The trio became known as one of the most popular hip-hop groups of all time. It broke out with the 2013 hit “Versace” and later earned Grammy nominations for best rap album with 2018’s “Culture,” while a track off it nabbed a nod for best rap performance.
Offset was once married to fellow rapper Cardi B, who he shares three children with. The two divorced in 2024.
Offset’s cousin, Takeoff, who was also part of the Migos group, was fatally shot in 2022.
Anyone with information about the Hard Rock shooting and those involved is asked to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit a tip on tips.fbi.gov.
The FBI noted that the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood is operated by the Seminole Tribe of Florida and “crimes committed on Indian land are subject to federal investigation.”
Copyright 2026 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
