Lil Baby has not been arrested or charged in connection with the 2024 Atlanta shooting that killed two 13-year-olds, despite his name appearing in arrest warrants tied to the case. The Atlanta rapper, whose legal name is Dominique Armani Jones, does have a prior record that includes a 2024 concealed-weapon arrest in Las Vegas that was later dismissed, a 2021 drug detention in Paris, and a 2019 reckless driving arrest in Atlanta.
Why His Name Appeared in the 2024 Atlanta Teen Murder Warrants
On July 2, 2024, around 12:34 a.m., six armed people opened fire on the Sparks Apartments complex on Sparks Street SW in Atlanta’s Oakland City neighborhood. The attack killed 13-year-old Lamon Freeman, who was celebrating his birthday, and 13-year-old JaKody Davis. An 11-year-old, Dontavious Davis, was wounded.1FOX 5 Atlanta. Arrest Warrant Confirms Atlanta Rapper Lil Baby’s Connection to Boys’ Murders
In late February 2025, Atlanta police announced the arrests of seven men and described the shooting as the result of an escalating feud between two groups: “Four Pockets Full” (4PF), which authorities associate with Lil Baby, and “Only My Family” (OMF), a subset of the Goodfellas street gang.1FOX 5 Atlanta. Arrest Warrant Confirms Atlanta Rapper Lil Baby’s Connection to Boys’ Murders Investigators traced the feud’s escalation to a May 2024 music video shoot Lil Baby filmed on the 2100 block of Verbena Street NW, an area frequented by OMF members. During the shoot, assailants opened fire, wounding three men and nearly striking the rapper.2Atlanta News First. Rapper Lil Baby Responds to Being Named in Warrant Connecting Him to Deadly Shooting of Two Atlanta Teens Atlanta Police Homicide Commander Major Ralph Woolfolk called the decision to film in what he described as a “rival gang stronghold” a “cowardly act.”3Billboard. Lil Baby Police Music Video Shooting Teen Murders
The warrants also indicated the shooters at Sparks Apartments were targeting a 4PF associate named John “J Shot” Smith, not the children they killed.4Atlanta News First. APD Gives Update on Triple Shooting That Killed Two Teens A confidential informant told police that one suspect, Dekeitheon “Jayman” Mobley, “really wanted Lil Baby, but it was hard to touch him.” Another suspect, Quiyontay “Midnight” Sanders, allegedly told his girlfriend he planned to extort the rapper for $5 million once released from prison.1FOX 5 Atlanta. Arrest Warrant Confirms Atlanta Rapper Lil Baby’s Connection to Boys’ Murders
The warrants did not indicate that Lil Baby ordered any of the crimes, and as of early 2025 he had not been charged with any offense in the case.5The Fader. Lil Baby Atlanta Police RICO Charges
What His Attorneys Said
On February 28, 2025, attorneys Drew Findling and Marissa Goldberg called the police department’s references to Lil Baby “complete and total nonsense” and “unprofessional, unethical and shameful.” They said he had “absolutely no involvement” in the crimes. On the music video, they said “the location for a major music video shoot is a decision made by a professional team and is not a decision made by any individual,” and called the implication that he could not film in his hometown “disgraceful.” The statement said Jones was “devastated about the situation because those children came from the same neighborhood he did.”6FOX 5 Atlanta. Lil Baby Responds After Atlanta Police Link Rapper to Teen Murders On Instagram, the rapper wrote: “Thanks For All The Concerns, Please Don’t Be Misinformed By Fake News!! I’m Overly Good.”7Yahoo News. Lil Baby Responds to Arrest Rumors
Is a RICO Case Coming?
Speculation about a RICO prosecution targeting 4PF has circulated since 2022, when Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said Atlanta would see additional “high-profile” RICO indictments. At the time, Lil Baby responded on social media by writing, “Only god can judge me.”8Complex. Lil Baby Responds to Rumored 4PF RICO Case
A March 2025 federal racketeering indictment named eight alleged Goodfellas members and associates, and a separate November 2024 indictment named six more for allegedly conspiring to murder Fulton County Detention officers. Lil Baby was not named in either.9U.S. Department of Justice. Eight Alleged Members and Associates of Goodfellas Gang Indicted in Federal Racketeering10CBS News. Goodfellas Gang Atlanta Attempted Murder Department of Justice In December 2024, he dissolved the 4PF record label imprint and replaced it with a new label called Glass Window Entertainment.5The Fader. Lil Baby Atlanta Police RICO Charges
Former prosecutor Melissa Redmon told The Fader that while gang-related conduct creates the “potential” for a RICO case, the fact that police did not name Lil Baby directly during their February 2025 press conference suggested investigators may lack a strong connection between the rapper and the specific crimes. She said that after the YSL case, prosecutors would likely be “extremely diligent” before bringing another RICO case against an entertainment figure.5The Fader. Lil Baby Atlanta Police RICO Charges
The 2024 Las Vegas Gun Arrest
On August 26, 2024, Lil Baby was arrested on the Las Vegas Strip on suspicion of carrying a concealed weapon without a permit. Casino security at the Encore hotel reportedly spotted him on surveillance video being passed a firearm. Officers detained him around 5 a.m. on the 3100 block of South Las Vegas Boulevard and recovered a tan Glock handgun with one magazine and 17 rounds of 9mm ammunition.11Rolling Stone. Lil Baby Arrested Concealed Weapon Las Vegas12FOX 5 Las Vegas. Rapper Lil Baby’s Charges Dropped for Bringing Firearm to Las Vegas Strip Casino
Jones told officers he held a valid Georgia concealed carry permit and had forgotten the firearm was on him after carrying it at a nightclub earlier. Nevada does not recognize Georgia’s concealed carry permits. He was booked into the Clark County Detention Center and released on $5,000 bail. The Clark County district attorney declined to pursue the charge, and the case was dismissed on October 1, 2024.12FOX 5 Las Vegas. Rapper Lil Baby’s Charges Dropped for Bringing Firearm to Las Vegas Strip Casino
The 2021 Paris Drug Detention
In July 2021, during Paris Fashion Week, Lil Baby and his bodyguard were detained after French police said they smelled cannabis coming from their vehicle. A search turned up 32 grams of cannabis.13CBC. Lil Baby James Harden Paris14BBC. Lil Baby Paris Arrest
The 2019 Atlanta Reckless Driving Arrest
On the evening of February 7, 2019, a Georgia State Patrol trooper observed Lil Baby driving an orange Chevrolet Corvette on Lee Street in Atlanta. According to police, he failed to signal a lane change and then sped off, weaving through traffic at high speed in an area with heavy pedestrian activity. When the trooper activated emergency lights, Jones tried to flee but became stuck in traffic near Donnelly Avenue. He exited the car, lay on the ground, and was arrested without incident.15WVTM 13. Rapper Lil Baby Arrested in Atlanta After Allegedly Trying to Flee Trooper He was charged with failure to signal, reckless driving, and attempting to flee or elude police, and was booked into the Atlanta City Detention Center and released on a signature bond the same night.16ABC 33/40. Rapper Lil Baby Arrested Accused of Reckless Driving in a Corvette