Rapper Freddie Gibbs was reportedly the target of a shooting in Brooklyn early Tuesday morning that left two injured, the New York Post reports.
The incident occurred near the Rough Trade record store in Williamsburg, where Gibbs had just performed. The rapper was sitting inside a black SUV when the gunman approached the vehicle and fired several shots inside.
Gibbs jumped out of the car and sought shelter back at Rough Trade while the shooter fled the scene. While the rapper escaped unscathed, a bullet struck one member of his entourage in the leg, and another was hit in the hand; both victims are in stable condition and expected to survive.
Gibbs believes he was the intended target, telling the Post, "They tried to kill Tupac. They tried to kill me. I’m still alive." When asked why someone would want to shoot him, the Gary, Indiana rapper responded, "I’m Freddie Gibbs. They tried to kill me, but I’m still alive."
A representative for Gibbs did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
According to police, security footage from Rough Trade shows the suspected gunman hanging inside the store and trying to blend in with Gibbs' entourage throughout the night. "At one point, he was standing right next to you," police told Gibbs. "The opportunity was there if he wanted to shoot."
When police showed Gibbs photos of the shooter and another man seen with him, the rapper said he didn't recognize either suspect. No arrests have been made.
A rising star in the rap world, Gibbs has built an impressive career over the past few years on the strength of his harrowing, hardcore street rhymes. Earlier this year, the rapper and famed producer Madlib released their collaborative project Piñata to much critical acclaim.
"I'm from Gary, Indiana, and everybody's damn near at the poverty level," Gibbs told. "It's a rough city to grow up in, and it's a modern-day ghost town. I can come from that, and be strong, intelligent, and articulate and put this project out, and let you know that, hey, I'm a street nigga, but I can do productive things as well. It's not just a motherfucker that's rapping gangsta shit, shoot 'em up, bang bang. You're going to take something from my record."
