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Two Houston rappers found shot dead in car outside strip club, family says

Rapper Ghost Magneto, aka Nicholas Esene, was one of victims

HOUSTON – Two men found dead inside a car in a strip club parking lot in west Houston have been identified as local rappers.

Family members told KPRC2 one of the victims was 24-year-old Nicholas Esene, an up-and-coming rapper who went by the name Ghost Magneto. They also said he and the other victim were friends.

Esene's family said he wanted to be a rapper really bad.

"He was excited about making his album and he had just (moved) into a house. He was so excited. He called me and said, 'Ganny, you will have to come and see my place,'" Brenda Harris, Esene's grandmother, told KPRC2. "After the doctor's appointment, we were going to go and visit with him and then we go and get this call before I leave home."

"He was a nice fella and he didn't deserve this," Harry Harris, Esene's grandfather said.

The bodies were discovered after police said a patron heard gunshots and alerted a security guard who found the men shot to death in the back parking lot of Club Onyx near Richmond Avenue and Bering Drive around 4:17 a.m. Tuesday.

Security went outside to canvass the area but didn’t see anything at first glance, police said. About 30 minutes later, more patrons told security about the shooting again, at which point authorities were called.

According to authorities, they found the two bodies in the vehicle with multiple gunshot wounds along with multiple casings on the ground. 

Nick Esene is seen in this undated image posted on his Facebook page.

Police said they believe it was a targeted attack, and that two shooters killed the victims while they were sitting in the car.

Photos of Nicholas Esene.

The club has surveillance video, and officers say they will be reviewing the footage for any clues that could lead to an arrest.

The identity of the second victim, who family says was also a rapper, has not been released.


About the Authors
Brittany Jeffers headshot

Emmy-winning journalist. Inquisitive. Sparkle enthusiast. Coffee-fueled, with a dash of sass.

Daniela Sternitzky-Di Napoli headshot

Daniela Sternitzky-Di Napoli has been a digital news editor at KPRC 2 since 2018. She is a published poet and has background in creative writing and journalism. Daniela has covered events like Hurricane Harvey and the Astros World Series win. In her spare time, Daniela is an avid reader and loves to spend time with her two miniature dachshunds.

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