Teen rapper Rylo Huncho has died after accidentally shooting himself in the head during an online livestream.
Huncho, 17, was found at his home in Suffolk, Virginia last Wednesday (May 15), per the New York Post. He was reportedly rushed to hospital, but later succumbed to his injuries.
Police subsequently said that a young male had been killed by an “accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound” to the head. However, the local force would not confirm the deceased’s name
Separate footage circulating on social media is said to have showed Huncho singing into a camera while dancing with a pistol. The teenager appeared to switch off the gun’s safety, and aim the weapon at his head.
A gunshot then rang out and Huncho was lost from view as the camera dropped. It is said that the livestream was broadcast via the teen’s Instagram profile. The investigation is ongoing.
A GoFundMe page has since been launched by a cousin of the late rapper and online personality (whose real name was Raleigh Freeman III, per The Direct).
At the time of writing, it has reached $3,000 (£2,360) of its $15,000 (£11,802) target figure.
“Hello, my aunt recently lost her 17-year-old son from a self-inflicted gun wound to the head,” a description on the fundraiser reads. “He was her only son! She was a single parent but took care of her son the best she could.”
It continued: “Suicide/accidental was the cause of his death [and] we are still trying to figure out why.”
Huncho’s cousin went on to say that “anything can help [the rapper’s mother] at this time of need”, adding: “He was her only child she was also an only child it was always her and her son. Anything can help! Please keep my family in your prayers thank you so much.”
Kara Dorsey, an educator in Suffolk, Virginia, spoke about the loss of her former student in a post on Facebook.
“While I didn’t have the opportunity to meet this young man, I did meet his older cousin and a close friend today,” she wrote. “I met them as they spent their lunch quietly walking the halls and asking staff members to share a [GoFundMe] to help the young man’s mother lay her only child to rest.”
Dorsey continued: “I tried to encourage them to honor the legacy of their friend and to continue being the thoughtful and polite young men they’d been in my only interaction with them… to push through to graduation day and continue fulfilling their goals.
“I told them that, while this won’t ease their pain or bring him back, it will honor him and bring joy to their grieving family during this time.”
Rylo Huncho’s latest single, ‘Getta’s’, was released earlier this month. Other songs featured on his Spotify include ‘Money Getta’, ‘DOA’ and ‘Now’. The late artist’s Instagram page currently has 28.6k followers.
