Rapper Hurricane Chris has been acquitted of all murder charges.
The Louisiana native, whose real name is Christopher Dooley, was charged with second-degree murder in 2020 following the fatal shooting of 32-year-old Danzeria Farris Jr.
Per KSLA, the shooting occurred on June 19, 2020, outside of a Texaco store in the city of Shreveport.
When officers arrived at the scene, they found that Farris had been shot in his chest, stomach and hip. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he later died from his injuries. Hurricane Chris was arrested and then released on a $500,000 bond.
However, he maintained his innocence throughout the trial, saying he acted in self-defense in the shooting. The rapper alleged that Farris attempted to steal his Mercedes-Benz.
After the rapper’s defense team presented testimony from two witnesses while prosecutors presented 11 witnesses during his trial, the jury found Chris not guilty of second-degree murder on March 14.
“Tonight I was found not guilty of second-degree murder and illegal possession of stolen things,” Hurricane Chris said in a statement shared with The Shade Room. “I wanna thank God, my attorneys at the Washington & Wells law firm, and my family for standing with me as my life was on the line. They wanted to give me life if I was found guilty. Now I can hug my son and think about raising him to be a man.”
He added, “This situation drained me and affected my health greatly. God, I give you all the glory. I got my life back and words can’t explain how I feel. Thanks to everyone who wished me well.”