Milwaukee rapper Fatboi Gwalla Gwalla was found dead inside a burning vehicle on Tuesday, Milwaukee’s CBS affiliate reports.
The death of Gwalla—born Lamonn C. Young—has now been ruled a homicide. Police located his body in a burning car near Hawley Road and Martin Drive. Currently they have no suspects but are asking anyone with information to come forward.
Young’s death adds to Milwaukee’s spike in violence, leading community members to call for some form of intervention.
“A lot of talent is gone, it’s gone way too soon,” activist Tracey Dent said when reflecting on Gwalla’s death. “It’s a sense of urgency right now because people are scared, you know, they’re scared to come out of their house, because someone is getting shot or killed every single day.”
The city has experienced 59 homicides since the start of the year. It is also averaging more than two non-fatal shootings a day versus this time last year, and the total amount of shootings in 2021 have doubled.
“We’re just trying to build unity across the county and everybody start working together, sharing resources and so we can start reducing the violence in our city,” Dent continued.
FatBoi Gwalla Gwalla released his latest tape, Hustle Hard, at the top of the year. He’s also known for tracks like “Money Problems” and “Rack Racin.” Outside of his local celebrity, his family wants the 42-year-old to be remembered as a father, husband, and entrepreneur.
