A 23-year-old Florida rapper is facing murder charges after allegedly shooting and killing two men execution-style inside a recording studio in Tampa, Florida.
Billy Bennett Adams III, who performs under the stage moniker Ace NH, is being held at a local jail without bail as he faces two counts of first-degree murder and one count of armed burglary of a structure in the Nov. 19, 2020, double-shooting inside a recording studio behind a home in Lutz, north of Tampa.
The witness who operates the makeshift shed-turned-recording studio told authorities he heard Adams say the two men were going to rob him after he shot them and then drove away. The witness, however, said he did not hear any commotion prior to the shooting or any indication that Adams was in danger, the Tampa Bay Times reports.
In fact, the unnamed witness said he wasn’t aware that Adams was armed when he and the two men walked into the small studio.
The witness said he was finishing up a song for Adams and, when it was complete and he had his back turned, he heard two shots. The witness said he swung around and saw two men slumped in a chair. As the witness fled the studio, he allegedly saw Adams fire another shot into one of the men.
An autopsy revealed that one of the deceased men was shot in the back of the head from two inches away while the other was hit twice in the face with gunshots.
Local police said the violence is gang-related as one of the men was identified as a member of the Crips and that there was a dispute over money and guns that preceded the three men entering the studio.
“Although the attack was clearly targeted, we will not allow gang-related disputes to disrupt the comfort and safety of innocent residents in any of our communities,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement, reported by the Tampa Bay Times, saying the shooting was in the style of a “violent execution.”
“It is clear that this suspect had no regard for human life, and now he will face the consequences for his actions,” Chronister said.
