LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles police are searching for a man they describe as "armed and dangerous" in connection with the slaying of PnB Rock, who was shot and killed two weeks ago at Roscoe's House of Chicken & Waffles in South L.A.
Investigators on Wednesday released a photograph of Freddie Lee Trone. Authorities say Trone was involved in the rapper's killing, which occurred during a violent robbery inside the Manchester Avenue eatery on Sept. 12.
Detectives opted to make Trone's image public after he evaded efforts on Tuesday to arrest him, according to law enforcement sources.
The gunman who killed PnB Rock demanded jewelry and other valuables before getting into a struggle with the rapper and opening fire, LAPD Chief Michel Moore said.
Moore said the shooting occurred soon after the rapper was tagged online as being at the restaurant, and police are investigating whether that is what prompted the attack. Police say such crimes linked to social media are rare. But Moore said he's concerned about the proliferation of guns on the streets being used by robbers targeting victims for high-end jewelry.
Rock, 30, whose real name was Rakim Allen, had been at the restaurant with his girlfriend, who had posted a location-tagged photo in a since-deleted Instagram post. The shooting reignited discussion of the dangers of the real-time use of social media by celebrities who post about their locations and luxury possessions.
The killing sparked sadness and outrage among fans as well as community activists, who say violence at a popular eatery is unacceptable.
"I want to see the community heal. There has to be a more comprehensive strategy to make it clear that taking material items like an expensive watch is not worth more than a life," said Skipp Townsend, a longtime gang interventionist in Los Angeles.
He pointed out the gunman could have killed so many people in the lunch crowd.
"This happened while he was actually dining, and that is truly tragic," Townsend said. "Arrests don't stop the violence. Arrests don't bring closure to families. We need to do a long-term strategy that prevents someone from considering such acts."
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