The sound of gunfire outside a popular Florida soul food joint sent panicked patrons and passersby running for cover, including rapper French Montana, who found safety inside a nearby KFC restaurant.
The shooting occurred in the parking lot outside The Licking in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Thursday around 8 p.m. Bullets struck as many as 10 people, including four who were taken to the hospital by emergency responders and another six who drove themselves, police said. Of those wounded, one victim remained in critical condition, though all are expected to survive.
A rep for Montana told TMZ the rapper was not hurt in the shooting. He managed to find shelter inside a KFC, where he remained hidden for nearly 30 minutes, according to video obtained by the outlet. While he does not say much in the clip, the 38-year-old performer can be seen nervously glancing out the window on several occasions.
Local outlets initially reported Montana was at the well-known eatery with his team filming a music video when the violence occurred.
In a statement shared to Twitter after the chaos, the 38-year-old performer clarified he and his posse were actually celebrating the release of his new mixtape, “Coke Boys 6: Money Heist Edition.”
“We unfortunately were at the wrong place, at the wrong time when an incident took place that left people hurt,” he wrote on Twitter. “Our thoughts & prayers are w/ the victims & families at this time.”
“CB6″ — recently promoted by Montana on Instagram — was released on Friday, less than 24 hours after the shooting. It marks the latest installment in his long-running “Coke Boys” mixtape series and features A$AP Rocky, Benny the Butcher, Kodak Black, Max B, King Combs, Est Gee and Jeremih across its 20 tracks.
Authorities are still working to understand what triggered the gunfire, but witnesses said it started after a person outside The Licking was robbed of their phone, watch and wallet.
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