Rapper Young Dolph was killed Wednesday in a shooting at a cookie shop in Memphis.
No suspects have been detained or identified by police in the fatal shooting of the 36-year-old. The incident happened at Makeda's Homemade Butter Cookies, a store at 2370 Airways Blvd., authorities said.
Memphis Police Chief CJ Davis said preliminary information indicated the victim was Young Dolph, whose real name is Adolph Robert Thornton Jr. Authorities are still awaiting official confirmation of his identity, Davis said in a statement.
The owner of the shop told Fox 13 that employees said Young Dolph came in to buy cookies when a shooter drove up and opened fire.
Maurice Hill, the owner of the shop where the shooting happened, Makeda’s Butter Cookies, told FOX13 his employees said Young Dolph walked into the store to buy cookies. Someone then drove up and then shot and killed him. @FOX13Memphis
Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland offered his condolences to the rapper's friends and family, and he also asked residents to remain calm while police sought whoever was responsible.
The tragic shooting death of rap artist Young Dolph serves as another reminder of the pain that violent crime brings with it. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.
Young Dolph made his debut in 2008 with "Paper Route Campaign." He built a reputation as one of the most prolific rappers in the industry, at one point making a music video from his hospital room after being shot in Los Angeles in 2017. His collaborators included Megan Thee Stallion and Gucci Mane, and he often worked with his fellow Memphis rapper and protégé Key Glock. Key Glock and Young Dolph had just on Monday appeared together to give away Thanksgiving turkeys at a cancer clinic in Memphis, WREG reported.
Megan posted a tribute to Young Dolph on Instagram on Wednesday. "Everybody that know me knows I play this man music EVERY DAY ! He was so genuine so real so kind to me and tfarris always !!!" she wrote.
Gucci Mane also remembered the rapper in a post.
R. I.P. to my friend Dolph this broke my heart
With his label, Paper Route Empire, Young Dolph became a prominent figure in the Memphis rap scene over the years.
He released a number of mixtapes and albums, including South Memphis Kingpin, High Class Street Music, Rich Crack Baby, and Role Model. The album King of Memphis debuted at No. 49 on the Billboard 200, and Role Model went Gold, according to his talent agency APA.
Reached by phone, on Wednesday a representative at APA told BuzzFeed News they could not comment.
Even with success and sold-out concerts, Young Dolph continued to face violence.
In February 2017, the rapper told the Guardian he walked away unscathed after gunmen targeted an SUV in Charlotte, North Carolina, because the vehicle had custom bulletproofing. Police told the newspaper they had not confirmed Young Dolph had been connected to the shooting, but the rapper later appeared on a new album cover over a slew of scattered shell casings.
The album was titled Bulletproof.
In September 2017, he was shot and injured outside a hotel in Los Angeles after police said he and three other people were involved in an argument that escalated to a physical fight.
Although no suspects have been identified, Davis said Memphis Police were "committed to working with our community to curb these types of incidents."