UPDATED Feb. 14, 4:30 p.m. ET: YNW Melly appeared in court Thursday morning and Broward Judge Jackie Powell ordered that he should remain in jail without bond, according to a report from the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
See original story from 02/13/18 below.
YNW Melly has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder, Florida authorities confirmed Wednesday.
The 19-year-old rapper, legal name Jamell Maurice Demons, turned himself in to Miramar police for the 2018 fatal shootings of Anthony Williams and Christopher Thomas Jr.—two aspiring rappers who were also friends of Melly. According to the Sun Sentinel, the victims were driven to Memorial Hospital Miramar at around 4:35 a.m. on Oct. 26, 2018. Williams and Thomas had sustained multiple gun wounds and were pronounced dead at the emergency room.
Shortly after the victims' deaths, the artist's lawyer told the press his client was in mourning.
"He's sad, he's upset, obviously," attorney Bradford Cohen told the Sun Sentinel back in October. "Those were his best friends."
Cortlen Henry was also taken into custody in connection to the shooting. He faces premeditated murder charges. According to TCPalm.com, Miramar investigators determined Melly was the one who fatally shot Williams and Thomas. Authorities told the outlet Melly and Henry had "staged the crime scene to resemble a drive-by shooting."
Hours before his arrest, Melly took to Instagram to let his fans know he was turning himself into authorities; however, his caption suggested he was falsely accused.
"I lost my two brothers by violence and now the system want to find justice," he wrote, "unfortunately a lot of rumors and lies are being said but no worries god is with me and my brother @ynw.bortlen and we want y’all to remember it’s a ynw Family
