Pop Smoke, a rising star in the drill music scene, was fatally shot during a robbery at his Beverly Hills Airbnb on February 19, 2020. His social media posts from that day inadvertently revealed his location and wealth, leading to the fatal attack by four teenagers. Despite initial delays, the case was solved months later, highlighting the dangers of oversharing online for high-profile individuals.
On February 19, 2020, at approximately 4:30 AM, the promising rapper Pop Smoke was shot and killed inside his Beverly Hills Airbnb. The fatal incident involved four teenagers who stormed the house during a robbery, with the youngest, a 15-year-old, firing the shots that ended the 20-year-old artist's life. He was officially pronounced dead at 5:12 AM that morning. TMZ reported his death later that day at 1:24 PM.
Pop Smoke's last day can be traced through his Instagram posts, which inadvertently revealed critical information leading to the tragedy.
At around 11:00 AM on February 18, 2020, Pop Smoke landed in California and drove to his Airbnb in Beverly Hills. He shared a story showing off the backyard, marking the start of a four-day vacation. Accompanied by his long-time friend Mike D, he posted updates including a haircut and relaxing by the pool. The day appeared normal and uneventful.
At 4:00 PM, a series of photos were uploaded on both Pop Smoke's and Mike D's Instagram accounts. These pictures showed Pop Smoke and Mike holding a large stack of cash. However, the photos contained two fatal errors:
For a high-profile rapper flaunting cash, this was a dangerous oversight.
At 5:00 PM, Pop Smoke posted another story showing him driving with the same cash and a diamond-studded Rolex on his wrist, further exposing his location and wealth.
Pop Smoke and Mike D went shopping at the Amiri store on Santa Monica Boulevard, preparing for his upcoming "Meet the Woo" tour. Around 10:00 PM, Pop Smoke returned to the Airbnb and posted a night view of the city from the backyard. At 11:00 PM, he uploaded a video showing shopping bags from Amiri, which revealed the Airbnb's full address through the tags on the bags.
A talent manager at his label noticed the error and advised him to remove the post. Unfortunately, two teenagers from the Hoover gang in Los Angeles had already been monitoring his stories.
Around midnight, the two teenagers began scouting the Airbnb location using maps. At 1:00 AM, Pop Smoke and Mike D left to record music at Eastwest Studios near Sunset Boulevard. Meanwhile, the teenagers recruited two more accomplices and switched vehicles to an Infiniti sedan.
At approximately 3:00 AM, Pop Smoke returned to the Airbnb with Mike D and a woman named Amelia Rose. Pop and Amelia went upstairs to the master bedroom, while Mike stayed in a room down the hall.
Around 3:20 AM, the four teenagers arrived in the Infiniti, sneaking through the backyard and climbing to the second-floor balcony. Amelia noticed movement outside but was quickly overpowered when three masked men stormed the house with guns.
The intruders forced Amelia to stay quiet, taking her phone and purse. Two men confronted Pop Smoke in the bathroom, demanding his watch, which he surrendered. When Pop Smoke attempted to fight back, the 15-year-old shooter fatally shot him in the chest. Despite being kicked and shot two more times as he tried to escape, Pop Smoke succumbed to his injuries.
Mike D was awakened by the gunshots and found Pop Smoke at the bottom of the stairs. He immediately called 911.
Medical personnel arrived 20 minutes later and transported Pop Smoke to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he passed away about an hour later. Meanwhile, the perpetrators searched local news and even checked the price of the stolen Rolex, which they sold for a mere $2,000 split among four people.
Despite having cell phone and internet records, authorities struggled to make arrests for nearly three months. The breakthrough came when the 15-year-old shooter was arrested for an unrelated crime. Police, already monitoring him as a person of interest, installed recording devices in his jail cell. He confessed to his cellmate about his involvement in the robbery and shooting.
The driver of the vehicle was also arrested and corroborated the story, explaining that the shooting was unintentional but occurred when Pop Smoke fought back.
Other suspects included Corey Walker, 19, who stayed in the car, and Keandre Rogers, 18, who led the home invasion. Both were charged with murder with special circumstances and are serving indefinite prison sentences. The 17 and 15-year-old suspects were charged as juveniles and remain unnamed.
Pop Smoke's death was a tragic loss to the music world, cutting short the rise of a potential face of the drill movement. The irony lies in how his social media posts, meant to celebrate his success and share his life, inadvertently exposed him to danger.
Fans continue to mourn Bashar's passing, and his music remains influential and widely discovered even years after his death. His story serves as a cautionary tale about the risks of oversharing personal information online, especially for high-profile individuals.
Rest in peace to the Woo, whose final hours remind us of the fragile line between fame and vulnerability.
