Goonew, a 24-year-old rapper who hailed from Maryland, was fatally shot in a parking lot on Friday.

The incident occurred in his hometown of District Heights at around 5:45 p.m. while Goonew was “on his way to give his sister a birthday gift.” The rapper, whose real name is Markelle Morrow, was ultimately pronounced dead less than 2 hours after being shot in the back.

The Prince George’s County Police Department broke the news shortly after the shooting occurred, and they’re still actively looking for suspects. They’re offering a reward of up to $25,000 for any information leading to a conviction over the matter.

“I love him so much. All he wanted to do was try to get his family, his friends out the hood,” Goonew’s mother, Patrice Parker Morrow, said. “He had a heart bigger than his body.”

“They wanted my son dead because he gave it up. They took his chain; they took his watch, he gave it up. And they still shot him in his body,” she added.

While grief-stricken, Morrow shared a message for the people who ripped her son away from her.

“I forgive you. They took my son and they got what they wanted,” she stoically said.

Goonew hit the scene back in 2017 with his debut album, Certified Goon. He kept busy over the next few years, releasing 8 more albums and many stand-alone singles. It’s also worth noting that his work even caught the attention of Lil Yachty, who collaborated with him in 2018 alongside fellow DMV rapper Lil Dude.

Sadly, this fatal March 18 incident wasn’t the first time Goonew was targeted in a shooting. In mid-2019, he was the victim of a brutal attack that nearly claimed his life. However, he ultimately pulled through, though this 2022 shooting proved more lethal.

Any information can be anonymously provided via the PG Crime Stoppers website.

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