Rapper Chief Keef was present during a shooting incident early Wednesday north of Chicago that put another person in the hospital, according to reports. Keef’s publicist told TMZ that Keef — born Keith Cozart — was present at the time but was not the shooter. Keef’s rep has not responded to Billboard’s request for comment.
In a statement, the Northfield Police Department said a victim of a shooting was taken to Skokie Valley Hospital and remains in stable condition. Police say the incident is believed to have taken place on the 800 block of North Happ Road. WGN News is reporting that the house is being rented by the rapper’s manager, though that cannot be confirmed. Unnamed sources also told WGN that after the shooting, Keef drove the victim to the hospital.
Local police and the North North Regional Major Crimes Task Force are investigating. The Northfield PD has not released the identity of the victim and did not name Keef or any other person as a possible suspect. When contacted by Billboard, police said official information related to the shooting would be relayed via press release.
“The shooting appears to be an isolated incident and we believe the community is safe,” the official said.
The shooting — and Keef’s alleged involvement — comes a week after the 18-year-old rapper was arrested and charged with DUI in nearby Highland Park. He is set to be arraigned April 11 in that case. The rapper recently completed a 90-day rehab stint in California. In January he was arrested for violating probation for a 2011 gun conviction.
Keef has made no mention of a shooting on Twitter, though on Tuesday he did post several images to Instagram showing himself and a friend holding guns while standing in a bathroom.
The Chicago native is currently in the studio working on two projects, “Bang 3” and “Bang 4.” In February, an Instagram photo leaked showing Keef in the studio with Kanye West. The photo was quickly deleted but created much buzz. Keef released the visual to his single, “F–k Rehab,” last week — a video featuring the rapper breaking out of rehab twice.