HOUSTON – A suspect accused of fatally shooting Migos rapper Takeoff in Houston appeared in court Monday.
Patrick Xavier Clark, 33, was charged with murder. His bond was set at $2 million. Cameron Isiah Joshua, 22, was charged with unlawful carrying of a weapon.
During his court appearance, Clark’s attorney asked for his bond to be reduced to a more “reasonable amount”. A hearing is scheduled to take place next Wednesday morning. The state has also asked to edit the suspect’s bond conditions to remove two of the names listed of people he can’t have contact with. A new motion will likely have to be filed, the judge said.
Letitia Quinones, one of the attorneys representing Clark, said her client was innocent until proven guilty. Quinones said Monday that her client did have a passport and a vacation trip planned for Mexico but cancelled those arrangements prior to Friday’s arrest. She disputes her client was trying to flee the country.
Police located Clark in the 14700 block of Sterling Green Boulevard Thursday and placed him under arrest, Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said. Documents state the suspect had a large amount of cash and an expedited passport on him when he was arrested. Investigators said he had plans to flee to Mexico.
Prosecutors said Clark was seen on video pointing and firing a gun in the direction of a group of people. Investigators said a wine bottle that Clark left at the scene was used to pull his fingerprints.
What happened?
The shooting happened at 810 Billiards & Bowling, located at 1201 San Jacinto, around 2:40 a.m. on Nov. 1. According to police, more than 30 people had gathered at a private party when a “lucrative dice game” began.
Investigators said Takeoff, whose birth name is Kirsnick Khari Ball, was an innocent bystander while his uncle Quavo, who is also a member of the Grammy Award-nominated Atlanta-based rap group, engaged in an argument with someone. Videos circulating online show that after Quavo turned his back to walk off, gunfire erupted, and Takeoff, who was 28 years old, was shot. He was pronounced dead at the scene, HPD said.
Two others were hit by gunfire but had non-life-threatening wounds and went to hospitals in private vehicles.
Houston police said during the preliminary investigation that at least two people discharged firearms. Finner stressed on Friday that Takeoff was not part of the dice game, not part of the argument, nor was he armed.
Clark is a well-known Houston rapper that goes by the stage name DJ Pat.
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