Takeoff, the Migos rapper born Kirsnick Khari Ball, died on November 1, 2022, after being shot outside 810 Billiards & Bowling in downtown Houston. He was 28. The Harris County medical examiner ruled his death a homicide caused by penetrating gunshot wounds to the head and torso. Police identified him as an innocent bystander to an argument that followed a high-stakes dice game. Patrick Xavier Clark, arrested about a month later, is charged with the murder, has pleaded not guilty, and is scheduled to stand trial in November 2026.
What Happened Outside the Bowling Alley
Takeoff and his uncle and bandmate Quavo attended a private Halloween-night party at 810 Billiards & Bowling, on the third floor of a retail complex on San Jacinto Street. The event was supposed to end around 1 a.m. but ran past 2 a.m., with 40 to 50 people still on site. On the third-floor balcony, a high-stakes dice game ended and an argument broke out among some of the players.1Courthouse News Service. Houston Man Charged With Murder for Shooting of Migos Rapper Takeoff
Houston police responded to reports of gunfire around 2:30 a.m. and found Takeoff dead just outside the bowling alley’s front entrance. Two other men were struck by gunfire and taken to hospitals in private vehicles with non-critical injuries.2ABC News. Migos Rapper Takeoff Fatally Shot in Downtown Houston Footage obtained by TMZ showed Quavo at the scene yelling for help.3FOX 5 Atlanta. Takeoff Dies in Houston Shooting
Police said Takeoff was not involved in the dice game, did not participate in the argument, and was unarmed. Video captured just before the shots showed Quavo in a verbal exchange with another person while Takeoff stood nearby. More than 30 people were outside the bowling alley when the gunfire started, and every one of them left the scene without giving a statement to police.1Courthouse News Service. Houston Man Charged With Murder for Shooting of Migos Rapper Takeoff4FOX 26 Houston. Takeoff Murder: One Year Since Rapper’s Tragic Death
How Police Identified the Suspect
With no cooperating witnesses on the scene, investigators worked mostly from surveillance video. One clip showed a man firing a weapon in Takeoff’s direction while holding a gun in one hand and a wine bottle in the other.5ABC 13 Houston. Who Killed Takeoff: Migos Murder Suspect The shooter left the wine bottle behind. Fingerprints lifted from it, combined with license plate information from the vehicle the suspect drove away in, pointed police to Patrick Xavier Clark, then 33.6ABC 30. Who Is Patrick Xavier Clark
Clark was arrested on the evening of December 1, 2022, on Houston’s east side. Prosecutors said that in the days before the arrest he had applied for and received an expedited passport and bought plane tickets to Mexico. He was carrying a large amount of cash when officers picked him up. Investigators also found that he had run online searches about the case, including his own name and age.5ABC 13 Houston. Who Killed Takeoff: Migos Murder Suspect
A search warrant dated December 7, 2022, confirmed that at least two people fired weapons that night. Forensic analysis found nine .40 caliber shell casings from one gun and a 9mm casing from another. Investigators identified a second man, Willie Bland, on video firing a weapon, but the warrant said the trajectory from Bland’s position was not consistent with Takeoff’s injuries.7FOX 26 Houston. Takeoff Shooting Search Warrant Reveals Second Shooter Clark is the only person charged with the murder.
Where the Criminal Case Stands
Clark was initially held on a $2 million bond. On December 14, 2022, Judge Josh Hill of the 232nd District Court in Harris County cut it to $1 million after a defense motion. A further reduction to $300,000 was denied.8Houston Public Media. Concerned Citizen Posts $1 Million Bond for Patrick Clark On January 4, 2023, the bond was posted by someone Clark’s attorney described as a “family friend and concerned citizen”; the source of the funds was not publicly disclosed. Clark was released from Harris County Jail that day.9ABC 13 Houston. Who Killed Takeoff: Patrick Clark Suspect Bond
His release conditions require house arrest at his parents’ home on Houston’s east side, GPS monitoring, surrender of his passport, and no contact with Takeoff’s family or others involved in the case.10Rolling Stone. Man Accused of Murder of Migos’ Takeoff Released on $1 Million Bond
A Harris County grand jury indicted Clark for murder on May 25, 2023. The arraignment document alleged that he “unlawfully, intentionally and knowingly” discharged a firearm at and in the direction of Takeoff.11CNN. Takeoff Murder Indictment Patrick Clark He pleaded not guilty.
Clark’s defense is led by attorney Letitia Quinones-Hollins, with Carl Moore as co-counsel. The team has signaled a self-defense claim. Quinones-Hollins has said Clark “was in the same position that Takeoff was in — he was trying to get out of there alive as well” and that Clark had nothing to do with the argument that preceded the shooting. The defense has also argued there is no certainty Clark fired the fatal shot and has suggested someone else started the gunfire.12Revolt. Takeoff’s Alleged Killer Reportedly Looking to Claim Self-Defense
After years of delays, a trial date was set in February 2026. Jury selection is scheduled to begin November 5, 2026, with the trial itself starting November 9, 2026, and expected to last two to three weeks. Clark has been free on bond for more than three years and continues to deny firing the fatal shots.13Houston Chronicle. Takeoff Migos Trial Scheduled for Patrick Clark14Click2Houston. Trial Date Set for Man Accused of Killing Migos Rapper Takeoff
Forensic Analyst Disclosure
In April 2024, the Harris County District Attorney’s Office filed Brady notices in 392 pending cases connected to Rochelle Austen, a forensic analyst at the Houston Forensic Science Center who was fired in March 2024 for proficiency test failures. The Takeoff case was among them. Austen’s errors involved switching DNA samples and skipping procedural steps during internal proficiency tests rather than in actual case evidence, but prosecutors were required to disclose her involvement. Clark’s attorney said the team was investigating how the issue might affect his case. As of the disclosure, the forensic science center’s review had not identified any technical errors in real casework.15ABC 13 Houston. Forensic Analyst Rochelle Austen and the Takeoff Murder Case
Wrongful Death Lawsuit and Family Dispute
On June 7, 2023, Titania Davenport, Takeoff’s mother and the administrator of his estate, filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Harris County District Court against 810 Billiards & Bowling and several other entities, including LVA4Houston Greenstreet, Lionstone Partners, Midway Companies, and Cushman & Wakefield of Texas. The complaint cited 18 instances of alleged negligence, among them failure to provide adequate security personnel, failure to implement screening or after-hours controls, and negligent misrepresentation that the property was safe. Davenport sought at least $1 million in damages for funeral expenses, loss of earning capacity, and pain and suffering.16Billboard. Takeoff’s Mother Sues Bowling Alley Where Migos Rapper Was Shot
The case was resolved through a confidential settlement, but a new fight opened between Takeoff’s parents over how to divide the proceeds. His father, Kenneth Ball, joined the lawsuit as an intervenor in late December 2023 and is seeking half. Davenport has argued Ball should receive nothing, claiming he was largely absent from Takeoff’s life. The parents also disagree on jurisdiction: Ball wants the matter decided in Texas, while Davenport wants it moved to a Fulton County, Georgia, probate court where estate proceedings are pending. As of mid-2026, no judge has ruled on the division.17Complex. Takeoff Parents Wrongful Death Settlement Dispute18BET. Takeoff’s Parents Are in a New Court Fight Over His Wrongful Death Settlement