Rising rapper Lil Purk, 16, and several other defendants took a plea to murder in the shooting deaths of two other teens in the Atlantic Station section of Atlanta in November 2022, resulting in a 40-year sentence for Lil Purk.
Purk has taken responsibility for the deaths of 12-year-old Zyion Charles and 15-year-old Cameron Jackson. He was sentenced by the judge to 20 years in prison and 20 years on probation.
16 year old responsible for killing 14 year old outside of Atlantic Station has received 20 years in prison. pic.twitter.com/Eb9kOzAVhW
— Everything Georgia (@GAFollowers) December 19, 2023
According to 11 Alive, the sentencing of the five defendants are as follows:
- Antonio Jackson entered a negotiated guilty plea – sentenced to 20 years, 10 in custody and 10 probation;
- Demetrius Hill entered a negotiated guilty plea – sentenced to 40 years, 30 in custody and 10 probation;
- Toney Wilson entered a negotiated guilty plea – sentenced to 40 years, 20 in custody and 20 probation;
- Deandre Forston entered a negotiated guilty plea – sentenced to serve 40 years, 20 in custody and 20 probation;
- DeRodney Russell entered a negotiated guilty plea – sentenced to serve 40 years, 20 in custodyand 20 probation.
Lil Purk and the other defendants also copped pleas of violating the Street Gang Act.
Two teens were shot and killed on the 17th Street bridge that leads into and out of the upscale Atlantic Station district. Two others were injured.
Atlanta Police Department detectives initially believed the shootout stemmed from the two groups being rounded up and escorted off the Atlantic Station property after engaging in unruly behavior and curfew violations. However, APD officials later stated they theorized the shooting was gang-related.
Since his conviction, Purk apologized to his family, fans, and friends on his Instagram Story on Tuesday, Dec. 19, saying:
“To all my family and fans I would like to sincerely apologize to y’all and to all the younger generation looking up to me. Let me and my situation be a lesson learned for our whole generation everything not what it seem and I’m still pleading my innocence I love you lil hot and to the families hurt by this situation forgive me also still keeping faith alive 43va.”
Lil Purk became renowned as a member of the OTF (Only The Family) rap group that he founded. Purk’s career took off after releasing his single Walkem Down, which accrued over one million streams on Spotify.
