Neighbors Concerned After Rapper Gunned Down In Atlanta's Kirkwood

ATLANTA, GA --Days after Atlanta rapper Yung Mazi was shot to death while walking to his car after leaving a pizza shop, authorities still have no suspect or motive.

What makes the August 6 slaying even more shocking is that the young father was gunned down right across the street from an Atlanta police precinct. There are no witnesses, authorities said. (SIGN UP: For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts. Or if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app.)

Young Mazi was leaving Urban Pie at 2012 Hosea L Williams Dr. in northwest Atlanta. A social media video purportedly taken hours before, shows him out on the town with his little girl. It is unclear if she was on the scene during the shooting.

The rapper, whose real name is Jabril Ab'dur-rahman, had been shot several times before -- a fact that he often retold in interviews.

The shooting was shaken many in the community. Days after the slaying, concerned residents gathered as part of Kirkwood's neighborhood association.

"It's one of those things that can happen anywhere," Tim Downs, a longtime Kirkwood resident, told WAGA-TV. "You know, obviously in this particular instance, the person who was shot was a guy at pretty high risk. He'd been shot at many times before this. So, yeah. I don't feel myself that I'm in any personal danger or that my family's in personal danger. This is a safe, stable neighborhood and I've loved living here."

A representative from the Atlanta police assured residents that although the case remains unsolved, they are on the case -- and need the public' help more than ever.

"We certainly recognize that it's a partnership -- the Atlanta Police Department partnering with the community," Maj. Timothy Peek, Zone 6 commander, was quoted as saying. "That brings us success. When we operate by ourselves, we're not as successful as we could be. So, we certainly--we welcome community involvement."

Authorities believe the slaying was not a random act. "We feel that the victim was targeted," Atlanta police Lt. Ricardo Vasquez told WAGA-TV news cameras late Sunday at the scene. "We don't feel that there was anybody else who was an intended person of the shooting and we have very little to go on at this time."

Read more: Atlanta rapper Young Mazi shot at Waffle House

The rapper, who spent some of his early life in Decatur, was no stranger to gun violence. In a Youtube video in 2016, Yung Mazi claims that he has been shot 10 times and that his complexion and jewelry make him a target.

The shooting happened just before 9:30 p.m. on the first Sunday in August as the man left Urban Pie pizza restaurant on Hosea L. Williams Drive, according to Channel 2 Action News.

“At this point,” authorities will not confirm the identity of the victim, Vazquez told WSB-TV.

The case was been referred to Crime Stoppers, meaning the public' help will be actively solicited.

Image via Google Street View