UPDATE 6/22/16: Troy Ave pleaded not guilty to attempted murder in court early Wednesday afternoon after being indicted on one count of second degree attempted murder and three counts of second degree criminal possession of a weapon in relation to the deadly shooting at Irving Plaza, according to Billboard. Ave entered the court room in a wheelchair since both of his legs were injured. Ave's lawyer, John Stella, confirmed that a bullet entered and exited his right leg and a bullet entered his left leg, although it's unknown if the bullet was from one gunshot or more. His bail hearing is scheduled for July 1.
See original story below.
Troy Ave has reportedly avoided a murder charge in the Irving Plaza shooting that left one dead and three injured, according to TMZ. The Brooklyn rapper is being indicted on several felony counts, including one count of attempted second degree murder and four counts of criminal possession of a weapon. If convicted of the felonies, the sentence would mean decades of jail time for the rapper.
Previously, Troy Ave was arrested with a report noting that police "were awaiting the result of ballistics tests before charging Troy Ave with murder." At this time, the results of the ballistic testing is unknown. Troy Ave's lawyer, Scott Leemon, also defended his client to the press stating that footage from the shooting did not explain the whole story. "The video does not show everything nor explain what happened in the VIP room before Troy came running out, as a victim, after he was shot," he said.
Troy's bodyguard, Ronald McPhatter, was killed during the shooting last month. Troy Ave has continually stated his innocence and that he was not the one who shot his longtime friend and colleague, McPhatter, that ultimately took his life.
Earlier this month and just a week after initially being arrested, Ave dropped Free Troy Ave mixtape featuring interludes from jailhouse calls to the outside with bars openly discussing the night's events. "Pussy nigga tried to assassinate me, I took the gun, and turned the tables ’round like a G—R.I.P. my nigga, B-A-N-G." It's unknown if these lyrics could be used against Ave in court, but it should be noted that there is precedent in the U.S. for referring to rap lyrics in a trial.
Leemon is reportedly asking the judge to release Troy on bail at his next hearing. We reached out to Troy Ave's attorney and will update when available.
